Hiryuu's Dawning Dynasty
by BleedingNightshade
Summary: A blazing fire consumed all she knew when she was just a child. Alone and defenseless, Ik-Soo takes the care of a young Yona. Meanwhile, Zeno frees a caged Jae-ha and that small event brought all the dragons together quicker. With only a small village separating them all, young Yona and the dragons grow up together with some unique memories. (Light, Fun, Child-Characters)
1. Fires of Change

**Hakuryuu** ✧ "The one who _wanted." - **Kija**_ ✧

 **Ryokuryuu** ✧ "The one who _ran." - **Jea-Ha**_ ✧

 **Seiryuu** ✧ "The one who knew _nothing." **Shin-Ah**_ ✧

 **Ouryuu** ✧ "The one who knew _too much." **Zeno**_ ✧

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Zeno didn't know why he did it. He had spent so many years alone, that he had lost count thousands of sunsets ago. He was cursed to an immortal life, blessed to never die. So, it hurt to grow to know someone, to watch them age everyday, becoming sick and frail as time chipped away at them. It shattered his scarred heart when they would eventually die, leaving him behind. This was the haunting blessing of the golden shield. This, was the reason why he isolated himself away from the world.

He was cursed to be alone and he had learned to accept that. Zeno had his moments of loneliness and grief, but never enough to think about doing something like this. Zeno remembered his brothers, the pain and joy, and he cherished those memories but he had no desire to recreate them.

Yet, here he stood, just outside the walls of a tiny village, because recently, there was something new tugging on his soul.

His muted bonds with his dragon brethren had been ignored for decades. As times passed by, the legend of Ouryuu had quieted down. It was rare that Zeno even felt the curious prod from the youngest generations. However, this tugging, this incessant need, was impossible to ignore and was growing stronger each night. One of his brothers was calling out to him, pleading for help, and bond between dragons summoned him like the voice of a God.

The strength of the summoning showed no sign of decreasing over the days and it was now so powerful that Zeno could follow it with his eyes closed, and his mind asleep. So, under the cloak of night, Zeno snuck past the sleeping village guard.

For the first time in a long time, Zeno knew he was needed.

The decaying wooden door creaked as the yellow dragon nudged it open with his foot. He waited, his ears straining to hear inside. There was no sound within but the soft rasping of a sleeping body. Cautiously, the yellow dragon crept inside, moonlight following him in as if to light up his path. The Heavens itself was urging him forward, each footstep following the path that the moonlight laid down.

The hut was tiny, and barren. The stone walls were not properly filled in, letting the cold air nip at anyone's exposed skin. The floor was dusty yet packed down from the use of wandering feet. A smile tugged on the edge of Zeno's lips as he recognized the impression of a familiar scaled foot. Against one wall was a small basin, half full of muddled water. Against the basin's wooden walling was a stack of grimy dishes, most of them chipped or marred. The living conditions displayed signs of two souls dwelling in the small hut, most likely a child and parent.

Zeno's attention was forced to the north side of the wall, where the source of the bond's disturbance was found.

The young boy was laying on a dirty, patched rug in a weak attempt to shield himself from the ground. His body was curled tightly into itself, making it difficult to gauge his size or age.

Zeno didn't realized he was moving forward, hypnotized by the sight before him. It had been years since he had seen that green hair or felt that wild ball of energy trapped in a mortal shell. There was no doubt in Zeno's mind. This was Shuten's descendant, a young boy born with the leg of the green dragon.

The sleeping boy shifted just as Zeno's shadow fell over him. Quiet whimpers were escaping his pursed lips as one of his small hands clutched tight into a fist. _Clank. Clank. Clank._ The chorus of rattling chains echoed his movement. Zeno blinked twice, just now catching sight of the thick, short chains that were wrapped around every one of Ryokuryuu's limbs.

 _'They had chained him like an animal!'_

"If you knew about this situation," Zeno was talking to himself, a habit that had emerged over his years of isolation, "you'd probably be upset, wouldn't you, Shuten?"

Disgust and horror was rolling in his stomach. How could the mortals do this to a blessed individual? How could humans look upon a child, one who did not appear past his first dozen years, and choose to chain every one of his limbs. How could mankind be so inhumane?

Yet, the only action Zeno chose to do was to shrug off his overcoat. He had seen mankind do worse damage to their own kind. It was no surprised that they had turned upon the dragon warriors. The young boys of the new generation made an easier target than the full-grown warriors that Zeno had originally known. Mankind was too weak, often scared of anything, or anyone, who was different from them.

The yellow dragon's vessel kneeled down to lay his overcoat over the boy. It was too cold to be sleeping outside, and the hut they were in offered no more protection than the open forest around them. The villagers had not even thought to offer a blanket to the small hatchling, leaving him to shiver on the cold ground.

As one of his hands lifted to stroke that familiar, haunting green hair, Zeno shifted slightly, letting the moonlight wash over the boy's face. It was then that Zeno saw what his own shadow had been hiding from him.

Dark purple bags rested beneath the boy's eyes. Bruises of various shapes and ages covered his angelic face and there was even dried blood resting on the corner of his lip. The evidence of abuse was painted onto the boy's face as if done by a twitchy artist. The villagers were bruising and beating him to the point that Ryokuryuu looked scared and frustrated, even in his sleep.

"How stupid," Zeno murmured, "to keep the green dragon on the ground." His hands drifted down, touching the heartless, cold metal of one of the chains. "That's not something anyone can do."

 _Snap_!

The chain around Ryokuryuu's right leg snapped between Zeno's clever fingers. He didn't even need to use much pressure, as the links were already heavily damaged, displaying signs of the boy trying to break himself free in the past.

Instantly green eyes were pinned on Zeno. The small body under the overcoat tensed and he curled his body even tighter, as if expecting injury. Fury and hatred were painted in his eyes and his lips pulled back in an animalistic display of hostility. For Zeno, who feared very little, the sight was adorable.

"Ryokuryuu can be scary when woken up," Zeno whispered kindly.

Zeno noticed that the green dragon was pulling his inhuman leg underneath him, as if to hide it and keep it from being chained again. Zeno, who was still crouched down, leaned back to give the young dragon more room to feel comfortable. There was a sharp prod from the bonds that bound them, done more harshly than truly required.

"Who are you?" He whispered, his eyes flickering from the stranger in front of him, to the open door behind him. The immortal man found it curious that even though the boy had felt their bond, knew of the connection they possessed, he did not trust Zeno and displayed strong hostility towards his brethren.

"Zeno is Zeno." The older dragon tried to flash a dazzling smile but when Ryokuryuu flinched, he knew that was a mistake.

"What do you want?"

"Ryokuryuu summoned Zeno. Zeno came to help." Zeno took a small shuffled to the left.

"I don't need your help." The boy was hostile for one so young, and reminded Zeno of a beaten puppy he had once tried to care for. "Where is Garou?"

Garou? A caretaker by chance? Or the other man who lived here? Zeno shrugged as an answer, honestly unsure. He took another tiny step back.

Zeno could see the way that Ryokuryuu was still eyeing the open doorway. It was obvious he craved freedom, and desired to be in the air, away from this filthy hovel. Yet, he continued to eye Zeno like he was an attacker, just waiting for the right moment to pounce on the boy.

This was cruelty of man, imprinted on a child.

Bravely, Zeno reached a hand forward. The nameless child was still eying him, his small body as taunt as a bow string. Zeno's fingers brushed the cold metal, feeling rust flake off underneath his fingernails. He didn't fail to notice that the boy had position his dragon foot carefully, prepared to kick Zeno away if he proved to be a threat.

Zeno had no desire to be kicked by that leg. When Shuten had kicked him, it always hurt and broken ribs were one of his least favorite injuries. They punctured too many organs and when shattered, the shards of bone were like tiny daggers traveling through his body as they healed. So he moved quickly, before the boy chose to attack.

 _Snap_!

The second chain crumbled beneath his human strength. With both chains destroy, Ryokuryuu's legs were free. There was a moment of breathless silence as the child stared at Zeno in disbelief. Then, he moved quickly. The boy placed his dragon foot over one of the chains connected to his arms. He leaned all his weight forward, turning the metal to dust beneath the strength of a dragon. For the first time, Zeno saw a smile tugging on his lips as he moved to destroy the last chain.

"Don't try to stop me," the green hatchling warned.

"Zeno is a traveler. Whatever Ryokuryuu wants to do, Zeno will not stop him."

Green eyes flickered from Zeno, to the chains, to the open doorway. Again. And again. The tension was growing heavier by the second, making Zeno shift nervously.

Finally he asked, if only to break the silence, "Where will Ryokuryuu go?"

"Away," was the answer he received.

"Why are you waiting, then?"

Zeno's question broke whatever spell the hatchling was under. A pleased, self satisfied grin broke across his face and he leaped to his feet, Zeno's overcoat clinging to his shoulders. There was a heavy thud as his dragon foot slammed into the ground a second after his human foot. A cloud of dirt floated up, clinging to Zeno and the child's clothes.

Zeno, still crouched down, turn to watch the hatchling take his first step towards freedom. It was like watching a foal learn to walk, or seeing a small child's first steps. Zeno felt proud that he could help his dragon brother and was there to see the joyful light enter his eyes. The boy craved freedom, and Zeno sympathized with him. The yellow dragon often craved freedom too when the weight of immortality becomes too heavy.

"Ryokuryuu," Zeno had some last words to give him.

"Jea-Ha," the boy corrected. "I'm not the dragon from legend. I refuse to be bound like them."

"Jae-Ha," Zeno murmured the name softly. He liked it. It was soft, yet rough. It reminded him of the boy standing before him. "If you want freedom, stay away from the ocean."

"The ocean?" A pleased light entered his eyes. Zeno huffed childishly at the sight. Instead of discouraging him, it seemed Zeno accidentally fascinated him with the thought. "Ryokuryuu is only free when he can fly," Zeno was quick to explain. "No one can fly in the water."

"Hm," was the only answer he received.

Jae-Ha had reached the threshold of the hut, pausing long enough to drop the overcoat in the doorway, and with a single bound, he was gone. Zeno rushed to the doorway, eager to see this brother in flight again. Like a exotic bird, Jae-Ha soared across the night sky, as silent as a hunting hawk. The villagers were still peacefully sleeping the night away, unaware that their dragon had escaped.

As Jae-Ha disappeared behind the horizon, a shadow detached itself from the side of the hut, edging closer to the traveler in the doorway. The blonde turned wide, innocent eyes to strange man approaching him, surprised that someone had managed to sneak up on him with his advanced hearing.

The first thing Zeno noticed was that the stranger was walking with a limp. His clothes were torn and dirty, hanging off of his skeletal figure. Weary green eyes peered at Zeno, and a nasty grimace was smeared across his lips. Zeno flinched when the moonlight reflected off of his greasy, emerald hair.

Now aware of who he was looking at, Zeno could feel him in the bonds. It was like feeling a leach on his neck, or the energy of a dying flower. Eels and snakes, wiggled and molested the bond that connected them, nearly consuming the tiny bud of energy that was stunted, and slowly pulsing with grime and poison. It felt revolting, and Zeno wanted to be far away from it.

This was how it felt to be near a dying predecessor.

Both of the elder dragons were gazing at one another. Zeno felt pity and horror for the terminal man before him, while the predecessor was just glaring down at Zeno. The eldest green dragon took a step forward, and Zeno felt himself tensing, prepared to face the fury rolling off of him in waves.

Two steps forward, and they were nearly chest to chest. This man, who Zeno was now believing to be Garou, was nearly a head taller than him, dwarfing the yellow dragon. This close, Zeno could smell the sweat and dirt that clung to dying Ryokuryuu like a cloak. The weight of Garou's gaze was heavy, like a boulder resting between his shoulder blades.

Their shoulders clipped against each other as Garou forced himself past Zeno, into the tiny hut.

"Always knew one of you would come for him. That boy was crying for help." The voice that came from behind Zeno was low and dark, rumbling in his chest like a roll of thunder. Zeno was so hypnotized by the sound, that it took him a second to understand what was spoken.

"At dawn, we'll hunt you both down." Not a threat, but a fact. Zeno nodded eagerly in understanding. Garou was giving them until sunrise before he alerted the villagers. By then, Jae-Ha would have traveled a vast distance away and Zeno would disappear.

Ouryuu was very good at hiding from the world.

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They all felt it when Hiryuu returned to Earth. There was no hiding it or denying it. For those who were asleep when the birth happened, they dreamed of dancing fire and lustful, baby cries. For those who were awake, they felt something connect inside themselves. They never knew they were missing a vital part of themselves until then. They didn't know what being whole felt like, until this unworldly connection clicked into place. The stars were suddenly brighter, they could hear the noises of the calm forest around them, and each had a desire to sing with the gurgling river. The dragons were finally complete.

The red dragon would walk amongst them again.

Zeno laid back in on the mossy floor, feeling the cold kiss of dew against his skin and giggling at all of the young dragons' curiosity. The vessels of Seiryuu, Ryokuryuu, and Hakuryuu were exploring the bonds they all held, trying to feel why the world felt different to them now.

Nudges. Prods. Caress. Tickles. Their weary curiosity was endless. Zeno took a deep breath, before closing off his end of the bond. It was a trick he had learned centuries ago, when Gu-En's grandson had tried to find him. For a short period of time, Zeno could stay hidden away from the other dragons.

He only kept one bond open. The golden dragon closed his eyes and basked in the simple feeling of a newborn. The young king was unknowingly projecting, sending his simple thoughts and emotions to his fellow dragons.

 _'How strange,'_ Zeno mused to himself. _'Hiryuu didn't have this bond with his dragons. Hiryuu was truly human last time.'_

Zeno gave an aged smile, his eyes falling close. He could feel Hiryuu's joy as the newer generation played with the bonds. Yet, it felt like all the weight of the passed centuries had crashed upon Zeno's heart. He felt so tired, and so old. So much time had passed, so much had changed, and yet, here he was, forgotten by time.

"Zeno must wait a little bit longer," the young man reminded himself. After all, what use is a dragon to a newborn child?

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Across the land, in the heart of a kingdom, a newborn girl cracked a toothless grin and giggled. Her tiny fist reached up, stroking a dragon that only her eyes could see. She didn't understand anything yet, her mind could only focused on simplistic, instinctual things.

All young Yona knew was that she didn't feel alone, even though her parents hadn't picked her up yet. She felt safe and love, despite that strange man tugging viciously on her tiny red curl. A warm feeling was spreading through her, causing her to sputter and burst into laughter.

She felt loved and accepted.

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When one lived forever, one notices that events often repeat themselves. It was human nature. Unlike the dragons, humans were never satisfied and greed ruled their lives. Kouka Kingdom was a prime example of this. Villages grew uneasy, nobles grew greedy and tempers turned violent.

Zeno knew the time of current peace was faux. The nearby lands had been growing uneasy and rumors were spreading about the kind King.

Normally, the yellow dragon wouldn't care. The actions and thoughts of the people were no longer his concern. He was content as he was, a distant observer.

Time was determined to change his ways though.

Flames licked at the night sky. The orange and yellow blossom crackled with power as it consumed all in its way. Black smoke towered above it all, attempting to block the stars and Heaven's view. Building crumbled under the weight of the flames, humans cried out as they were swallowed whole. As terrifying as the fire was, it was innocent when compared to what man was doing against man.

Stallions were screaming in agony, children cried for their parents, and woman begged for mercy. Soldier were raping and murdering anyone they pleased. They were no longer the innocent creatures that the dragon Hiryuu had crafted with his own claws. As war raged over the lands, mankind had become something so disgusting that even the Heavens could not stand to look at them.

Clouds built on the horizon, the low rumble of thunder traveling over the grounds. Still, despite the Heaven's displeasure, man raged on. Zeno stood on a crested hill, crying silently as he watched the carnage taking place below him.

Normally, Zeno would not care. It was no longer in his nature to worry about those who were bound to die anyways. This time was different. This time, the kingdom had a hidden jewel, and the dragon's most prized treasure was hidden away there, in vast danger.

Hiryuu was terrified and crying for help through the bonds. Zeno could only imagine how the young boy felt. His home, his family, his whole life was being destroyed, all in one night. Hiryuu was in grave danger, his life closer to being forfeited with each second that passed by. The more fearful he grew, the more the red dragon tugged on the bonds of his dragons.

The following moments were a haze to Zeno. He was aware of himself running towards the horror. He knew he was running over broken pottery and battered corpses. He could see his skin splitting open, he could feel his bare toes splashing in the blood of the innocent, but he was uncaring. Mentally, and spiritually, Zeno was distant, with only one thought of his mind.

 _'Hiryuu needs me!'_

Swords slashed across his skin. Women tried to grab his billowing robes but he ripped himself free. Cries echoed around him but he ignored their pleads. He was determined to get to the heart of the kingdom, where a burning palace was crumbling.

His bleeding feet had just touched the palace steps when a searing pain ripped itself through his body and soul.

Zeno could do nothing but collapse where he was and roar out to the Heavens. Agony, unlike anything his immortal life had ever felt, ravaged his senses. His limbs being torn from him, organs being ruptured, even losing the love of his life, was nothing compared to this pain. It paralyzed him to those warm steps, unable to do anything but cry out with tears streaming down his cheeks.

Zeno was only vaguely aware that it was not his agony he was feeling.

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Young Jae-Ha had been midflight when his leg pulsed madly. Gravity, which often ignore Ryokuryuu, suddenly crashed down upon him, sending him pummeling to the ground. He yelped out as several bones snapped upon impact, and his blood turned to fire.

Something was tearing his leg apart, filling his body with unimaginable pain. His leg felt restricted, as if it would explode from being contained in the clothed boot. With a pained snarl Jae-Ha turned on himself like a wild dog. His fingertips tore at the soft material of his boots. Skin ripped and nails tore as he forced himself to continue scratching until his fingertips were scrapping against unyielding scales.

What greeted his gaze made the injured, broken boy whimper. The normally small scaled leg had increased in size. He has gained muscle mass in minutes, and the once leathery scales were now stronger than the steel of a sword. As he watched, the abnormal limb pulsed several times, contracting and relaxing with each pulse.

Incredible power was racing through his veins, and yet, Jea-Ha had never felt more trapped.

Confused, and scared, the green dragon spiritually reached inside himself. A spiritual instinct was whispering to him to check on his brothers. A voice, similar and yet different from his own, was insistent that he look for his brethren. _He had too._

Three healthy bond met his intriguing touch. Ouryuu, Seiryuu, and Hakuryuu. Each one was being tortured like himself, full of confusion and agony.

Three other bonds, similar yet different from the others, were pulsing weakly in protest. Their frail bodies were unable to take the sudden demand of pain. Their spirits were crying out for mercy, begging the silent Heavens for freedom of the agony.

 _Snap_! Jae-Ha's whole body convulsed as he felt Garou die. The power that had been keeping his mentor alive, was clipped, like a dry twig. Whimpers escaped the green dragon's lips as he felt that extra power, as minimal as it was, flow into him.

Jae-Ha had no warm feelings for his predecessor, but it was sickening to feel him die, and to know it was because of him.

The proud green dragon didn't even care that he was crying.

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Young Seiryuu whimpered in his sleep. The young boy was having a nightmare. Night terrors were common to him, but this one felt different. Everything felt too real, as if he was there, standing in that bloody battlefield as the fire blazed behind him.

Men were dying. Women were crying. Children were being slaughtered. It was cruel and needless. The small hatchling was scared but no matter how much he pinched himself, his mind refused to wake up.

"Help," he tried to cry out but no sound escaped his throat.

Why wasn't Ao waking him up? His father-figure often snapped him out his nightmares, claiming that his pitiful whimpers disturbed his sleep.

Ao was not answering his pleads though.

The small boy ran forward, trying to catch a nearby man's attention. He felt warm liquid lapping at his shoes, seeping into the fabric and touching his toes within. His other foot came down, landing on a beaten corpse, which rolled beneath him and sent him reeling. His arms spread wide in an attempt to stop his descend but there was no escaping gravity. His body slammed into the ground, sending shockwaves of pain through him. Blood, dirt and ash rushed into his open mouth, attempting to choke him. The blue hatchling coughed fruitlessly, trying to clear his lungs.

His head hurt. His body ache. His skin was warm from the puddle of blood he crashed into. The boy was scared and he was not feeling well. Even with his eyes shut, they were throbbing in agony, keeping a steady pulse with his heart.

He was crying but no help was coming. He was scared but he couldn't wake up. The blue dragon didn't know what to do and his eyes were just gaining more pain. _Agony_. So much pain!

"Ao," the child whimpered as he curled himself into a tight ball. "Ao."

He just wanted the pain to go away and to wake up.

He didn't even notice that his frail bond to the sword master, was gone.

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Something wasn't right. Kija had been sick over the last few days, the ball of unease in his gut made it hard to eat, which meant anything that traveled past his tongue caused him to vomit. Within the last few hours though, he had gained a fever too, one high enough to rival a fire. He was weak, he was tired, and he felt this undeniable need to see his father.

"Granny," the boy mumbled weakly. "I want to see my father."

"Shush child," the small elder scolded. Behind the pair, Kija could hear the villagers speaking about delusions and fevered dreams.

Kija used his dragon hand to push himself up, the sweat laced sheet clinging to his soaked body. They didn't understand! He could feel something was wrong. The mass of unease was spreading its tendrils, infecting his whole body. Shivers traveled down his spine as he kicked his feet free of the blanket that they had wrapped around him.

He shuffled towards the door, ignoring the pleading and grasps from those around him. Kija had to see his father, now, before it was too late. A man from the village grabbed him, his strength bringing the boy to a halt. Mindlessly a growl rumbled in his chest cavity, shocking those nearby into releasing him and letting him pass.

Never had anyone heard the calm, sweet Kija growl, like the beast who blessed him with his hand.

"I need to see him," Kija explained weakly as he traveled forward.

The trip across the small village was a haze. Many people tried to greet him. Even more tried to stop him. Kija was determined though, and soon, he was climbing the stairs that lead to the tower where his father had isolated himself.

It had only been three months since Kija had seen his father, but when the small boy crossed the threshold into his father's living quarter, he couldn't stop the undiluted shock that filled him.

His predecessor had lost weight. The once strong man was now bed-ridden, a living skeleton wrapped in aged skin. Ice traveled down his spine as Kija gaze at what he was doing to his father. He, born to be the next white dragon, was sucking the life out of his birth father, just like a starving leach.

A whimper escape him as a lash of pain attacked his soul.

"Granny?" A raspy gasp filled the distance between father and son. "Granny," a hand twitched towards Kija. A right, human hand. "Look at this, this hand." The man's finger trembled as he flexed his fingers. "No matter, how you look at it, it's just a normal hand."

Another lash of agony lanced its way through Kija's body. His blue eyes widened in shock as he stared at his father's hand. His own dragon arm felt heavy by his side. "Those strong dragon claws are, nowhere to be found."

No, they were not. Kija flexed his hand, feeling those strong dragon claws indenting his scaled palm. "The strength of the gods, is nowhere to be found. That power has, been taken from me." Kija's body was pulsing and his eyes were moist. He wanted to apologize but he couldn't get the words past his swollen throat. All he could do was stand in the doorway, the source of his father's pain.

"Hey Granny, if it's now," a deep rasp interrupted his words. His body convulsed twice on that clean bed he rested upon. Hypnotized, and frightened, by the sight in front of him, Kija found himself taking a step forward. "If it's now, that child, am I allowed to touch that child?"

"I want to at least once," his father's words were fading. "Can I be allowed to touch him once, in my final hour?" That was his last request? The man who avoided Kija's admiring gaze, who had carved the white dragon's devotion onto his newborn back, wanted to touch him? Kija was in pain. His temperature was rising, but his body was cold, and that agonizing pulse had not left his arm. It was all nothing when Kija looked at his dying father, and knew his father wanted to embrace him.

 _Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat._ Tears dripped steady to the wooden floor.

"Sorry," the man choked out his words. "It'll trouble Granny agin. Someone like me, at this point," his words were slurring together. Kija could tell his father was having trouble forming his thoughts, let alone speaking those words. "I can't, that child."

 _'I'm sorry to cause you suffering, Father.'_

Kija flung himself forward, draping his young body over his father. He could feel the folds of skin beneath him and the sharp protrusion of bones against him. Kija could see the dirty white hair spread across a nearby pillow, the same hair Kija possessed.

"Father." Kija clutched his father to him, embracing him for the first time. "Father."

 _'Why didn't I come prepared to talk to him? There are so many things that I want to talk to you about.'_

Using the last of his feeble strength, Kija's father wrapped his right arm around his boy and held him close. Thin, weak human fingers rested over the scars he had inflicted onto his offspring.

"Kija," the man murmured quietly.

 _Snap_! Kija clutched the man closer as he felt the bonds between the two white dragons, the only intimacy they shared for years, snap apart. His arm trembled as the last of its energy joined together in one vessel. In the background of his mind, he was aware of the echoing cry of a small girl.

Kija's father spoke his name for the first and last time, before never opening his eyes again.

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It was instinct that drove the yellow dragon forward. Instincts and the echoing cry of a child in the back of his mind. All around him was fire and blood. Within him, agony and pain, not all of which were his own. Zeno could feel Hiryuu desperately grasping onto the bonds, still frantically searching for help. Ouryuu could feel his other brothers dying, pushing the burden onto the younger generation.

"Zeno is here," the man panted out. Somehow, he had gotten to his feet and was stumbling forward. "Zeno will shield you."

The pain made it hard to focus but Zeno continued to walk. He trekked through the dusty streets, past the mourning humans, uncaring of the soldiers on horseback. Zeno was being called. All of Ouryuu's thoughts, his whole purpose in life, was to find Hiryuu and shield him.

No one stood in his way. After it was clear he would not help, nobody cared for him. Humans fell back on baser instincts, which demanded the strong survive. Unable to fight against the destruction of their world, they fled.

Zeno followed the bond blindly. He felt possessed, as if someone else was guiding him, moving him forward one step at a time. He traveled through rooms he had never seen before, found passageways that were never known to him, and experienced haunting memories that plagued him as he followed familiar hallways.

Finally, he arrived in a room he had never before seen. Gold, silk and expensive decor covered every surface. Pale pink and light lavender dominated the room, speckled with light green and pale yellow. The area gave off a soft, feminine aura, revealing it was the Queen's Chambers. Crimson red was splattered over the surrounding area, a cruel touch to the soft decor.

Three male corpses were on the floor. Blood continued to spill from their bodies, their deaths recent. All the wounds were inflicted from behind, as if a soldier had surprised them. Laying on the huge bed, was the final corpse. Her serene, heart shaped face was turned to the Heavens. Her hands were peacefully folded on her stomach, her eyes closed as if in sleep.

The arch of splashed blood, and the numerous stab wounds made it obvious that this woman was posed after her death. Her pale skin and blood soaked robes revealed that she had bled out, and no human held still while dying.

A nearby crown, resting by her bed, told Zeno that this was the queen. Probably one of the first to fall in the cowardly ambush.

A few strands of red hair, vastly different from the Queen's midnight locks, were tangled on a nearby pillow. A smaller trail of crimson, almost unseen on the mulberry sheets, painted a trial from the bed, through a door, outside to the raging war.

Zeno followed the path, knowing who it would lead him too.

The war around the kingdom was dying down. The soldiers were losing their momentum and Kouka Kingdom, along with the royal family, had fallen. A quiet murmur was spreading through the invaders, one that Zeno knew, would soon turn into a cheer.

Mankind had destroyed itself once again, and Kouka had fallen.

The last of their precious kingdom was hidden away though, somewhere and soon, Zeno found himself in a familiar courtyard. A manmade river ran red with blood and the silhouettes of the trees and bushes makes ghouls in the firelight. He pushed a large, flowering bush aside, its sharp thorn biting back to defend its center. The land that was created from the dragons, was trying desperately to preserve one of its blessed creatures.

In the center of the bush was the largest blood puddle yet, and a young girl's kimono. Zeno's breath caught in his throat at the sight, for, that was it. There was nothing more, but the bloody sign of his failure. He had wanted to save Hiryuu, and he had failed.

A blush of dawn peeked over the mountains, but clouds were still thick in the sky. The Heavens were hiding from mankind, hiding from Zeno. He had failed and Hiryuu was gone.

As a new day started, it was clear that Kouka's most precious treasure, had disappeared.

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The following days passed quietly. Zeno had retreated from the burning castle, leaving the monsters of men to ravage the building. The local villages were suffering, their citizens scared and unsure what to do. Words of sorrow were murmured for the Queen, but no one seemed to care about the loss of the kind King Il. Rumors, hushed and quiet, were whispered about their daughter. No body was found, but not many consider her alive. A small child, barely half a decade old, could not survive alone. And so, the conflict for the throne began with all generals and villages wanting to take the throne for themselves.

Were there any royal survivors at all? It was not impossible, but improbable. There had been no word of a search for the young princess. True, the kingdom was still recovering, but humans were like wildflowers. They survived the impossible odds and kept growing.

If Hiryuu had survive, how would he had grown?

The thought alone caused tears to well up in Zeno's eyes and he wrapped his arms around him in a false sense of comfort. His failure would forever haunt him. How long would Zeno have to wait for Hiryuu to return this time?

Now that he knew his dragons could not protect him, would Hiryuu ever return?

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

Shining violet eyes blinked.

Wide orchid eyes blinked.

The dragon vessel, and a young man stared at each other from across the almost bare cabin.

The young girl was kneeled down, her hands grasped tightly in front of her. A large overcoat was covering her small body, and her wild hair was a tangled mass on top of her head. Sweat still beaded her brow, and her body trembled every few seconds, displaying signs of her lingering fever. Bandages were still wrapped around her belly and arms, and she winced when she moved too fast.

Ik-Soo was sitting down, his long legs folded gracefully in front of him. He had a thin robe on, and he was nervously fidgeting with the hem. He had tried smiling at her, but the young girl had only flinched away at the sight, which made him feel ashamed. So Ik-Soo had decided to just sit in his spot, as still as a statue, and wait for the girl to speak to him.

He had been waiting since dawn, and dusk was settling over the land now. The girl has yet to even moved or protest her sudden dwellings. The priest mused that the child was still in shock, unable, or unwilling, to process what had happened before her eyes.

Two loud rumbles filled the hut, shattering the silence between youths.

"Is the princess hungry?" Ik-Soo's tried to coax her into conversation.

The girl blushed and looked down at her fingers, which were now tearing at the edge of Ik-Soo's spare overcoat. No answer was given however, except for another rumble from her stomach. Her eyes, a brighter shade than Ik-Soo's, continued to assess the man who had rescued her.

The young princess decided quite quickly that her savior was beautiful, and looked a lot like her mother. His face was thin, and unblemished. His cheekbones were narrow and he had wide eyes that looked similar to hers. Even his hair was curly, and fell in playful ringlets around his face. His bangs were long, creeping into his eyes and giving him an unkept appearance. The pale yellow color of his hair matched his clean white robes and brought more attention to his eyes.

"My name is Ik-Soo." The priest leaned back, and casted a meaningful glance around his cabin. There was little food stored here, and it was unsuited for the small ward he suddenly found himself caring for.

Upon leaning her savior's name, the princess brought her joint hands to her face, to hide her embarrassed blush. But still, the princess did not move from her spot. Her unique eyes darted away from him, and Ik-Soo felt disappointed at the rejection.

The girl offered no words but moved to lay on the floor, with her back to the priest. She curled into a tight ball, pulling the large robe over her like a blanket, as she ignored her rumbling stomach. The princess was silent and seeking solace in her sleep.

Ik-Soo watched the little princess as she curled up on the floor, and tried to disappear from view. It was fate that brought Ik-Soo to the castle that dreadful day. It was the voice of the dragons, which lead him to the small girl's hiding place, and it was the heaven's will that he took the young princess, before she could be killed.

Those same spiritual instincts, are what told Ik-Soo that Princess Yona was not grieving over her family. Death, and its permanence, was something that most children her age did not understand. She was grieving, of that, the priest had no doubt, but it was not for the family she lost. Something else was making her feel alone and sad.

He just didn't know what it was.

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It had been four days since she had joined Ik-Soo's care and still the girl did not speak. She made cute noises, like a newborn kitten, but no words escaped her tongue. She often kept her distance from Ik-Soo, preferring to keep the whole cabin between them.

Sometimes Ik-Soo saw the young girl eying the door, but she never made an attempt to leave. Perhaps, a distance part of her knew that was nothing out there for her.

To pass the days away, Ik-Soo had developed a new game. He was trying to guess the young girl's favorite animal. It had all started when the other day Yona had let out a terrified squeak, upon seeing a young doe in their open doorway. Ik-Soo had giggled quietly while trying in vain to get Yona to approach the gentle creature. Just this morning, Yona had eyed a bunny rabbit on the edge of the woods, but refused to leave the house to go after it.

Now, Ik-Soo was determined to find an animal she was fond of. The young priest often enjoyed woodland strolls and the animals it would bring, and he wanted the young girl to enjoy them too. If Ik-Soo could catch one of her favorite animals, maybe the frightened girl would warm up to him.

"Kitten?" The girl stuck her tongue out.

"Bird?" Her eyes drifted to the window, and her tiny shoulders gave a shrug.

"Snake?" The girl was silent, but Ik-Soo had noticed how she had perked up slightly at the creature. It was an old choice, and not one most girls would like.

"If the princess doesn't tell me, then I might be tempted to bring the doe back."

The threat didn't seem to scare her, but she did give a deep sigh, and she turned back to the young priest. Her shoulders were hunch, and her eyes downcast as if afraid of judgement for her choice. "Dragon."

Ik-Soo had seen painting of the Heavenly Dragons. They were long, vicious creatures with gaping maws and terrible claws. Drool dripped from their fangs, and humans were crushed beneath their scaly paws. They were terrible, feared creatures. Even the kindest dragon, Hiryuu, had been a great opponent in battle. Why would a young princess choose such a creature?

"Has the princess ever seen a dragon?"

The toddler nodded, her wild red hair bouncing with each movement. Her amethyst eyes had a bright glow to it and she finally seemed relaxed. She stretched out her arms as far as they would go, and explained how big her dragons were. She told Ik-Soo how they had shining scales but warm manes.

"I meant a real dragon," Ik-Soo did not mean to sound cruel, but his tone ruined her description of her imaginary dragons.

Instantly, her bright smile crashed. Yona started chewing on her bottom lip, her little teeth tearing into the soft skin. She was glaring at the floor, her bare toes drawing shapes in the dust.

"There's four of them," Yona insisted quietly. "Ouru, Hakyu, Rokyu, and Seryu." Her vocabulary was horrible, but the names were clear enough for Ik-Soo to recognize the titles of the Heavenly Dragons. The only one missing was Hiryuu, the crimson dragon with a gentle compassion and orchid eyes.

Yet he remembered orchid eyes staring at him just moments ago, begging for him to understand. A small human girl, whom the Heavenly dragons insisted he save while the kingdom burned around them. The same red-haired girl who was soft spoken and kind.

Just who was this gentle soul that Ik-Soo had saved?

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Gradually, over time, Yona came closer to the priest. Originally they slept with an empty cabin to separate them. However, every night, Yona would inch closer to the warm fire pit in the center of the hut, the cold nights forcing her to seek heat. Soon, she was sleeping next to the fire, and she didn't care that Ik-Soo was only inches away from her too.

One rough night, after a devastating nightmare, Yona jolted awake with tears streaming from her eyes. Her small fists were clenched together, and resting in front of her lips, in a futile attempt to stifle her cries. Still, Ik-Soo was roused from his sleep by her small cries.

"Momma," she whimpered. "Papa," she cried.

Not for the first time, Yona scooted away from the dying ember in the fire pit, her fearful eyes watching the dancing flames. Ik-Soo peeked an eye open, watching from the other side as she repeated the same ritual. Every three days or so this pattern would happen. Yona would jerk awake, speak several names that meant nothing to him, and scoot away from the warmth of the fire. The young man had suspicions that the princess had a fear of fire and he already knew she couldn't stand the sight of blood. After a few hours she would cry herself asleep again and pretend it didn't happen come morning.

Ik-Soo had watched this happen three times, each time hoping the young girl would seek comfort with him. Yet, she tried her hardest to hide her tears and pain from those around her. A part of him knew how it felt to want to keep the pain to himself, but the larger part, a caring, sensitive part of him, wanted to cry out for her when she hid her pain.

Finally, Ik-Soo could take no more and pushed himself away from the floor.

"Yona?"

A squeak escaped Yona and she bowed her head letting her red hair hide her tears. She didn't want Ik-Soo to see her cry but he found see her tears dripping to the wooden floors. The young priest got to his feet and picked up the thin blanket that Yona had claimed, but left behind in her rush to get away from the fire. Even though Ik-Soo was not a large man, he still towered over the girl when he approached, casting a shadow over her and causing her to shrink in on herself.

With an elegant spin of his arms, Ik-Soo wrapped the blanket around her, completely hiding the girl from view, and drawing her back into his chest. The girl snuggled deeper into the priest's chest, clutching the blanket even tighter around her face. This close to her, Ik-soo could feel her agony and pain. His own heart stuttered in misery, and his eyes welled with sympathy tears.

"If you're wrapped like this, no one can see you cry, not even me. So it's okay to cry." The blonde priest was already crying, his tears falling freely for all the times Yona had refused to grieve.

The priest couldn't see the young girl but he could hear her sobs increasing. He could feel the tremors that racked her body. More importantly, Ik-Soo felt when her hand snaked out and grabbed onto his clothes, holding the priest closer to her in her moment of grief.

That night, Yona grieved for all she had lost and Ik-Soo grieved with her.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

His world was silent for a long time. At first, his body protested at first from the lack of movement. Then it demanded food. Zeno ignored all the commands. His thoughts were in the past, in a time long ago, when Zeno had not been alone. A time when Zeno had protected Hiryuu, to the best of his abilities.

The sound of feet scrapping against his floors brought him out of his daze, and tired blue eyes looked up to see this visitors.

The unnatural blue and green hair revealed who the two were without words. They stood in the doorway of his empty hut, small figures against the backlight of the noon sun. How much time had passed? How long had Zeno been mourning?

He didn't know anymore. Much like what happened after the death of Kaya, the days had blurred as Zeno was adrift in his sea of grief. None of it mattered. It was not like Zeno could die of starvation, sickness, or pain.

The golden dragon blinked slowly, clearing his eyes of the haze that had settled over them. "Jae-Ha?"

The green dragon assessed the sad excuse of the immortal dragon, before giving a grim nod. "Zeno." Besides him, the small toddler clutched a ball to his chest, the mask over his face swinging with his movements as he glanced between Ouryuu and Ryoukyuu. A pair of bells, which hung from the mask's ears, rang with each movement.

It was Jae-Ha who took the first step forward. The Seiryuu hatchling jolted in surprise, and reached a shy hand forward, snagging Jae-Ha's sleeve. He shyly trotted forward, following Jae-Ha like a small blue shadow.

"Hello again Jae-Ha," Zeno greeted cheerfully.

Zeno was already sitting on the floor, but even with his reduced height, he was taller than the toddler with blue hair. The yellow dragon wasn't even surprised by the mask. He had seen something similar, a long time ago. Instead he gave a bright smile, knowing that the boy would see it even with the mask on. Zeno knew he must have looked odd. He had not bathed in a long time, nor had he bothered to change his clothes. His depression had taken time from him, and his disgruntled look, paired with his enthusiastic smile must have been odd.

Indeed, the young boy was fidgeting in front of Zeno's wistful stare, and from his loose fingers, the ball slipped out and rolled towards Zeno. The boy couldn't be a year or two older than Hiryuu would have been. That thought sent a new bolt of pain through him. Despite his age, he was small, and Zeno could see that the boy was underweight too. His soft blue hair was cut short, differing him from Zeno and Jae-Ha, who each had long hair. His clothes were a dark blue, and made to his size. The strangest feature was the large cat mask that dominated half of his face.

The porcelain white mask looked to be crafted from wood. Wide, confused eyes were painted over it, and a pair of bells were tied around the left ear. There were no eye holes, but Zeno knew that he could see everything around him, and more, with ease.

"Lad, what's your name?" Zeno questioned the blue dragon.

"Seiryuu," was the quiet answer.

"Not what dragon," Zeno reached forward and poked one of the painted eyes of the cat. The wide, confused gaze of the mask conveyed the same confusion the boy was displaying. It was an unspoken rule to not name a child after the dragon gods. Some considered it a sin, other considered it bad luck. Zeno thought it was divine interruption that kept it from happening. No matter the reason, no child was named after the dragons. After a few seconds of hesitation, the boy shook his head, the bells echoing his denial.

"He doesn't have a name," Jae-Ha answered for him. Zeno didn't miss how green dragon protectively stepped forward, tugging the toddler back a step so he was tucked into to the teenager's side. The child wasted no time in moving his hand towards Jae-Ha's sleeve once again, anchoring himself to his dragon brother.

"Ryokuryuu is protective of Seiryuu." Zeno stated a simple fact. It seemed unlike the cold Jae-Ha to attach himself to a child.

"Only monsters will care for monsters." Jae-Ha's lips pulled back to reveal a tiny fang, as if sharing a secret joke. Zeno chuckled with ease, which only made Jae-Ha stiffen his stance protectively. Ryokuryuu was always possessive, no matter which lifetime he lived. Shuten had been the same way with Hiryuu, before the dragon brothers had gotten close enough to trust each other. Right now, Jae-Ha had taken the unnamed hatchling into his protection. Zeno leaned forward to pick up the discarded ball and he rolled it towards the child. "Go play," he coaxed. "Zeno must speak with Ryokuryuu."

"Jae-Ha," the teenager corrected coldly.

There was a moment of stillness, before Jae-Ha nudged the boy back towards the open doorway. Having gain permission, the boy reached forward to grab the ball from Zeno and race outside. Once outside, Zeno could hear a repeated _tap, tap, tap_ against his hut's wall.

Zeno turned his full attention to Ryoukyuu, who was gazing at him with disapproving green eyes. Jae-Ha shifted several times, favoring his dragon leg for an unknown reason. Zeno waited, knowing from Jae-Ha's uncomfortable movements, and harsh glare, that he had something to say.

"He was alone. The villagers pretended he didn't exist, and rarely gave him food. I played with him for a few days and got him fish when he was hungry. I learned from the villagers that his mentor died a few months ago." Zeno knew automatically what happened a few months ago. It was when Zeno had failed and when Hiryuu had disappeared, once again.

"He had nowhere to go and no reason to stay."

"So Jae-Ha decided to adopt?" Zeno playfully teased.

"I can't care for a child!" Jae-Ha snapped, not treating the situation as lightly at Zeno. "I'm not done traveling," he explained softly. "I was hoping, you'd take care of him but I see now, you can't even care for yourself."

"Zeno is mourning right now." He knew from the bonds they shared at the other dragons were mourning too, though they did not know why, so they were not as affected. "Zeno normally baths daily, and takes good care of himself."

There was an awful idea forming in his head and an uncomfortable ball of unease was settling deep in Zeno's gut the longer he debated it. It was a horrible idea to get the dragons together again, despite what the bonds that demanded they unite.

Unlike himself, the other dragons would not be blessed to live very long. They would be lucky to reach their fourth decade, cursed to only half a life. It would be agony, for Zeno, to grow attach to a child, who had no hope of living a long life. Even now, just glimpsing the blue hatchling, and seeing Jae-Ha after his escape, was an awful idea.

Once upon a time though, three dragon brothers had defended and protected Zeno when they thought he was weak. They had teased him, sometimes cruelly, but they never left him on his own. Despite the pain it would bring, Zeno could not leave his brothers' on their own, especially know that he knew of their suffering. Before, he could claim ignorance of his brothers' surviving bloodlines, and now that defense was gone.

"Zeno will watch the young Lad," Jae-Ha gave a sigh of relief, "but only for a little bit."

They both knew that the last part was a lie.

* * *

Don't let the size of the first chapter fool you, this will be a dabble series. Normally chapters will be between one thousand to four thousand words (which is still decent size but small for me). I just wanted to get the scene setting finished with, all in one chapter.

Also despite the sad beginning, I anticipate the story to be fairly funny, light, and enjoyable.

I have a loose plot line in mind but this will mainly be fueled by reviews, prompts, and the needs of reviewers. I really only wrote this because I've been working on a AkaYona AMV and so these characters were fresh in my mind.

It's something fun to do between my more serious story, Bloody Purity. Also, I really want all the children to interact in their own unique ways. So don't be afraid to give me an idea or ask questions!

 _ **Some Questions to be Answered First :**_

\- Will young Yoon be introduced? Maybe. I'm not sure yet. Is there demand?

\- Where is Hak and Soo-Won? Well, we'll see! I promise, I didn't kill them.

\- Will the dragons meet young Yona? Of course! That's kinda the point of this story.

Anymore questions? Ask away! Or leave a review and try to inspire me. I'll give shout outs to all who do. Also let me know if the idea is a dud. Not all stories are a hit and I know this.

 _-Nightshade_

* * *

Editing, as always, is done by myself. Frankly, I'm tired of rereading this so I'm just gonna post it. See something that bugs you? Want to point out a mistake? Go ahead! I'll fix it up and probably thank you.


	2. Their First Meeting

"The heavens can only show you the path to take. Whether you walk that path is up to you."

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Their First Meeting

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

* * *

Even given time, Yona was still experiencing trouble growing to accept the change in her life, and her new lifestyle. She was waiting patiently, believing that she would be returned to the kingdom once the citizens of Kouka Kingdom realized she was alive. Until then, she would have to stay with Ik-Soo, the pretty priest who was like a mom and dad combined.

Yona quickly learned that Ik-Soo was very clumsy. He walked like Yona, when she was wearing a new gown that was too long for her. He tripped a lot, which meant his hands bled a lot too. His food was undercooked, or sour tasting, much like Father's food when he cooked. As Yona sat before the low fire, out of reach of its hungry flames, her face twisted into a grimace as she watched the priest throw some odd herbs into the stew.

"Those always make it taste bad," she murmured to herself.

Ik-Soo did not hear her over the tune he was humming.

"Ik-Soo!" Yona's high-pitch voiced squealed loud enough to be heard throughout the chattering forest. Unfazed, the young man paused his stirring to glance at his tiny ward. "Those herbs make the soup taste bad, and they look sick." Her wide orchid eyes were glaring at the brown, crumbling leaves.

"Nonsense princess," the priest dismissed her words. "It is a fine stew." His usually gentle face hardened into a mask, and he locked eyes with the forgotten princess. "You know, some people don't even have this much for their empty bellies. You should be grateful."

"But is tastes bad!" She stuck her pink tongue straight at the priest, who was backing to stirring his bubbling brew with bandaged hands.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

The young boy never complained about the food he received. Zeno was not use to caring for a child, and found himself unprepared that first week. It was a good thing that Jae-Ha lingered to help the nameless child adjust to the new environment. it was also helpful that Jae-Ha was capable of foraging for editable berries, and catching fish.

"When did Ryokuryuu learn to cook?" Zeno asked as he watched the season fish roast above a small fire.

"Recently," was the quiet answer he received. Jae-Ha turned and gazed down at the toddler who was nearly sitting on the teenager's lap. "Do you like fish?"

The bells tied around the cat mask jingled as he nodded once.

Seiryuu was a quiet child. It had been four days, and outside of that first day that they meet, he had yet to hear the child talk. Jae-Ha had privately assured Zeno that the boy had an extensive vocabulary, but simply chose to be mute.

When the fish came out a little burned, and some parts had to be scrapped off, he still didn't complain. He nodded his thanks to Jae-Ha, and consumed the fish in three rapid bites. He never complained of hunger, and he never asked for more, but Zeno had yet to see the child turn away any food given to him.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

Slowly, Yona was growing callous to the sight of blood. With Ik-Soo caring for her, it was nearly impossible to not to. Right now, she was kneeling before the priest, with his lower legs bared to her so she could wrap the gauze around his scarred, bleeding knee. Despite wanting to never see another drop of blood in her life, Yona insisted on patching up Ik-Soo, and checking his injuries herself. Her hands still trembled whenever they grew too close to the blood, and she didn't want to look at the rag she used to clean up Ik-Soo's pink skin, but despite this, she wanted to assure herself of Ik-Soo's wellbeing.

"You should be more careful," she scolded.

Ik-Soo didn't respond, merely choosing to chuckle quietly and rub the back of his head in embarrassment. Yona's wrapping was loose, and it would not hold for longer than a handful of hours, but Ik-Soo couldn't bring himself to correct it, not when she was working so hard to bandage him.

In the months that Yona had been with him, Ik-Soo had slowly worked on her insecurities, and the fears that plagued the child. She could now sit by the fire, in the center of the room without wide, panicked eyes. Though it still made her stomach uneasy, she could wrap simple wounds and handle the sight of blood as long as it was not extensive. She was mentally growing, and healing before him.

"What would you like to eat tonight?" Ik-Soo found himself asking as his empty stomach voiced its displeasure.

Yona gave an unneeded, harsh tug on the bandage, before tying it with her little fingers. "Don't put any of your nasty herbs in it," her stern voice lectured him. It was the cold tone of royalty, a voice that demanded to be heard and obeyed. Ik-Soo doubted that she knew she was using, as it was far too engrained in her mind from her teachings as a toddler.

"Use a softer voice," Ik-Soo gently scolded.

Yona sighed deeply as her clasped hands moved to her lap and wide eyes stared up at him from under her red bangs. "Please don't use the herbs."

Ik-Soo smiled at the sight before him before pushing himself to his feet, and trotting to the old pot that he used for cooking. His knowledge of food was limited, so tonight he would make a vegetable soup. Vegetables, he remembered his mentor saying, was good for a growing body, and good for keeping someone healthy and strong.

That night, the two of them sat in the doorway, and looked up at the million of stars, each with a bowl of soup in their hands. Yona was grumbling, pushing the meal around with her wooden spoon. Several herbs could be seen in the broth, adding a dirt-like taste to the warm water.

Ik-Soo ignored her pouting, finishing his soup quickly, as he tried to convince himself that he did the right thing. The teachings of the princess' mind was in his hands now, and there were many lessons she had to learn. It was better that she learned them now, as a young girl, than when she older.

It was important that the forsaken princess learned that she couldn't always get what she wanted, and that some events were out of her control. She needed to trust in those older than her, and know that Ik-Soo had her best interest in his heart.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

"Blood."

The quiet word was enough to startle Zeno out of his hypnotic gaze. The cut on his palm had already healed, leaving only faint traces of his crimson blood on his hand. When cutting vegetables for their stew, Zeno's hand had slipped and slid the blade along his skin. The wound wasn't extensive enough to summon his shimmering scales but the skin had healed without a blemish, within seconds.

That didn't stop the concern toddler from insistently tugging on his sleeves until Zeno dropped his hand so the boy could see it. The wooden mask, with no eye holes, stared passively at his palms, but Zeno knew the boy was seeing his hand, despite his view being blocked. The blue haired hatchling rubbed his small thumb against Zeno's palm, searching for the wound that had summoned the blood. A primal noise of confusion escaped the boy.

"Zeno can't get hurt that easily," the immortal dragon assured the boy.

"Hurt?"

"Yes, but Zeno doesn't realize it sometimes."

The boy could a few seconds to mussed this over. Zeno was unable to read his face, hidden behind the mask, but he turned Zeno's hand over, seeming to search for something. His small fingers were still running themselves over Zeno's palm, massaging the exact location where the cut had been.

"Zeno die?"

"The stew is done," Zeno announced too loudly, startling the small boy out of his thoughts.

In the end, the final question was forgotten in the excitement of trying a new dinner.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

Teaching a young girl was difficult. Teaching a princess, even more so. Ik-Soo had never been a father, or a teacher before, so he didn't understand how difficult it would be. He already made the mistake of underestimating how spoiled Yona was. He honestly should have guessed as much, especially when she was the only daughter of King Il, and heir to the throne.

"Why can't I have a second bowl?"

"There's no more."

"Make some more then!"

"It doesn't work like that, Yona."

Food was enough, though it was not plentiful. Ik-Soo often got portions from the nearby village, as payment for his knowledge, or healing. They were not starving, but it was not the plentiful amount that the princess was use too. At least once every night, she would complain about the amount of food she had consumed. For her small body, Ik-Soo doubted she could eat much more anyways, and she was simply unnerved that their food had a limit.

"I'm hungry," she mumbled in a pathetic tone.

Ik-Soo sighed and reached into a wooden bowl he kept on one of the wooden counters. Inside were three apples, fresh from nearby trees. There were small, and not quite ripe, but one would be enough for a snacking child.

He handed over the fruit, which Yona grabbed greedily. Her white teeth tore into the crunchy skin of the apple, its juicing running down her chin. With each crunch, Ik-Soo felt guilty for his dismissal of her hunger. Perhaps, the young girl was truly hungry and not just complaining.

The next day, Ik-Soo would find a half-eaten apple, wasted, and tossed carelessly on the floor. His heart felt heavier at the loss, and Yona's inconsideration.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

"I want a purple one!" Her shrill voice echoed through the village.

Ik-Soo's hand paused their work, the mixed herbs unequal, and the paste still chunky. The female elder before him groaned slightly, her arm still held out to display her infected cut. The injury was not bad yet, but left untreated, it could turn deadly. Before, this injury would be a simple matter to treat, but now, Ik-Soo couldn't work for more than a few minutes without being interrupted.

Indeed a bouncing ball of energy with red hair and purple eyes skipped forward. In her small hands, was an expensive bracelet with beads of blue, purple and red. The glass twinkled in the sunlight and Ik-Soo immediately knew he wouldn't be able to afford it.

"Isn't it pretty?" The exiled princess cooed.

Ik-Soo gave a sad smile, and a few tears dripped down his chin. It was pretty but he could not afford it. He could not give the princess spoils beyond her belief, as the world no longer rested at her fingertips. With a heavy heart, he grabbed the bracelet, and held it out to the angered shopkeeper who had followed the young princess.

Being a parent was tough, especially when tear filled eyes stared up at him.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

"Is Ryokuryuu ready to become a father? Zeno stills thinks you're too young."

"Jae-Ha," the green dragon tiredly corrected. Zeno could tell that the teenager was exhausted, but his focused was pinned on the small boy who was standing in his doorway. It was reminiscent of a previous scene, but instead of a blue-haired toddler, it was a young boy with white hair tied back with a silver ribbon. Crystal blue eyes looked curiously around the small home. His white robe and pants were streaked with dirt and mud, and he carried a single worn bag in his clawed hand.

"Zeno, he doesn't even look like me," Jae-Ha sighed out as he brought a hand up to massage between his temples.

"That means nothing. Ryoukuu seems to have a habit of finding children and adopting them."

"But I didn't find this one!" The teenager immediately protested. "He found me." Jae-Ha gestured to the small boy, who took that as his cue to puff out his tiny chest and move to stand in front of the kneeling Zeno.

"I am Hakuryuu, vessel of the white dragon, and I have felt the Dragon Warriors gathering." His high-pitch voice had tried to take on a deeper brass, which made his voice waver in pitch. "I have left my village, and traveled far to join you."

"I found him in the middle of the forest, screaming about bugs," Jae-Ha gave a wicked grin at the boy's embarrassed blush. "He claimed he was looking for the Dragon Warriors, and with that hand, I couldn't just let him wander around. Bandits were gonna pick him up or something."

"We're not gathering." Zeno's eyes had drifted down the to pearl white scales that decorated the boy's right arm. It had been a long time since he had seen those claws, and never before had Zeno seen them on such a young boy. "Seiryuu needed a home, and Ryoukyuu likes to visits. Ryoukyuu found Seiryuu, just like he found you."

"So, there's no reason for us to be here?"

"Not unless you like burnt fish and stew."

The boy's stomach gave a loud rumbled in response, which brought a darker blush to the boy's cheek. In the next second, the Seiryuu hatchling trotted over, dangerously carrying four bowls in his tiny arms. When Jae-Ha had arrived with the boy, Seiryuu had taken over monitoring the stew that Zeno had been cooking, which was now finished. Jae-Ha was quick to scoop two of the bowls away, leaving Seiryuu to stumble towards Hakuryuu. The white-haired boy stiffly bowed with proper grace, before receiving his bowl, and starting to hungrily sip at the broth.

"Bleh!" Immediately his tongue stuck out, and little droplets of broth dripped off his tongue. "That's gross."

Yet all around him, the other dragons consumed the stew without complaint. It was bland, with a thick liquid, and overcooked vegetables. There was no meat included, as Zeno had yet to hunt this week. Zeno, Seiryuu, and Jae-Ha had each intimately gotten to know the feeling of hunger, so they did not complain about the taste of stew. They didn't have the spoiled upbringing that the white hatchling did.

Seiryuu paused his slurping, his mask tinkling as he shook his head back and forth to gather everyone's attention. He rudely pointed a finger at the new boy. "Name?"

"Hakuryuu, son of the previous white dragon, wielder of the dragon claw." The answer was immediate, and said with the mannerism of a speech which had been drilled into a child, and rehearsed many times.

The nameless boy shook his head back and forth, an angry huff escaping him. The boy's finger swing to point at the teenager. "Jae-Ha." Then to their makeshift caretaker. "Zeno." And then it swung around to once more point at the white-haired boy.

"Oh," Zeno watched as the boy nervously clenched his hand. His sharp claws picked at the white scales found there, which were still too young to form into the iron scales that would be unstoppable. Instead, they were still leather soft, and ripped from his nervous picking. "Nobody has called me by my name is a long time.

"My name is Kija."

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For the first time, the princess knew she was not the only one with unique hair. There was a boy that she was secretly following through the tiny village. He was small, like her, but wore baggy worn clothes, like Ik-Soo. His hair was unique though! It was blue, like the sky on a clear day, and more beautiful than her own red, unruly hair.

She had been following him for a little bit now. He traveled around, but never spoke a word to the curious vendors. He sometimes stopped to look at things, but he never touched the products or asked about prices. He seemed fascinated with the world around him, like he had never seen a village before, which made Yona giggle at times.

"Seiryuu!"

Instantly Yona turned towards the new voice. It was gentle, calm and sweet, like a fresh spring breeze. She was drawn to it like a warm patch of sunlight on a cold day, and so, she followed the boy with blue hair towards the voice.

The village was famous for making voices travel, so Yona was surprised when the boy didn't even think about where he was going. He simply trotted off, following something that Yona herself could not see. He went around several stands, down some dusty roads, and towards the lurking forest that surrounded the tiny village.

There at the edge of the trees, was a small family.

There was a father, crouching down in the dirt. His clothes were dirty and sewn together, and he had a tattered cape resting over his shoulder, with the hood down. Yona had seen blonde hair before, Ik-Soo and Soo-Won each had blonde hair, but this man's hair was even brighter. She was tempted to say it was yellow, like the sun above them.

Behind him was a young teenager. He was wearing fancy clothing, made from expensive silk, like what she use to wear when she lived in Kouka Castle. He had long hair, which was tied back with an orange ribbon. Yona's grin only widened when she noticed that he had odd hair too. His hair was a dazzling green, like the vegetable plants that Ik-Soo grew on the side of the hut.

The last one was a small boy too, just a little bit older than herself. He was fidgeting in place, looking very uncomfortable with his family. He had wide, bright blue eyes that kept sweeping the ground, as if searching for something that he had lost. He had short hair that framed his face, which was a clean white, and not the dusty white that the village elders had. His right arm was heavily wrapped, and she wondered what kind of injury he had.

Once the blue-haired boy had reached his family, the father's eyes moved up, and caught her gaze. Time seemed to freeze, as azure blue eyes locked with her own orchid gaze. His golden face paled to a startling white, and he quickly scrambled to his feet, leaving his family confused, and on edge, because of his sudden attitude change.

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 _'It couldn't be.'_

It was simply impossible. Zeno had _felt_ Hiryuu die. He had felt the bond snap that faithful day, almost a whole year before. Yet, there was no mistaking the grace of beauty that stood before him now. She looked almost identical to the Dragon King, which Zeno had served so many years before.

She was tiny, and willow-like, even for a child. Zeno could see how the clothes she wore, which were obviously meant for a male child, billow around her, empathizing her small frame. Her eyes were so wide, with soft purple irises that shined with innocence and joy. More importantly, she had a wild red curls that fell to her waist. Still a child, but still obviously alive.

Of course, the other dragons didn't know who this was. How could they, with the bond broken between them?

"Seiryuu, do you have a new friend?" Jae-Ha kindly asked. Despite their visits to the village, the blue hatchlings had yet to interact with the other children, instead choosing to wonder between booths, and watch the villagers from a distance.

"No," was the soft whisper. The blue dragon was no longer silent, but he only spoke softly, and usually only one or two words at a time. "She followed me."

Did she know, who they were to her?

Zeno moved forward a step, and the young girl bravely held her stance. Her tiny shoulders went tense, and she grabbed a fistful of her pants, but she didn't run away.

"Hello!" Zeno gave his widest smile, but it only made her flinch. "What's your name?"

He could feel the rest of the dragons vessels watching curiously now, unsure why Zeno was chattering with the little girl that randomly stalked Seiryuu. Zeno was the kindest out of the dragons, but even he chose to distance himself from the villagers, unless he was doing something entertaining to earn a few coins.

The young girl bit her bottom lip, and glanced over her shoulder at the village behind her. Was this where she was hiding? But how? How did the lost princess get to this tiny village, hidden away from the world?

"Ik-Soo says I shouldn't talk to strangers. Or reveal my name."

 _'We're not strangers. We're your dragons.'_ The toddler would not understand such fateful words though, and so Zeno found himself slightly bouncing on his toes, trying to channel his nervous energy. "Zeno is Zeno, not a stranger."

He must have been an amusing sight for the girl. His golden hair was messy, his clothes were streaked with dirt, he was bouncing on his toes like an excited toddler, and his manner of speech was different than most people. The girl giggled loudly, the sound lifting all of the dragons' spirits.

When she realized her rude manners, the girl instantly clamped her chubby hands over her lips. Her shoulders still shook with silent laughter, and an embarrassed blush had spread across her cheeks as she tried to suppress her mirth. Zeno pretended to pout, though he wasn't truly hurt by her actions.

"Young Miss is rude to laugh at Zeno's name."

The girl sobered up to the best of her giggling ability. "I'm sorry Mr. Zeno but you talk funny."

"That's rude. Zeno talks like Zeno should."

"Yona!" Another voice rang through the village. "Yona, where did you go?" With each word, more panic filled the voice.

The girl's attention was pulled away, as she turned to face the village. In the distance, Zeno would see a limber man moving amongst the crowd, his own eyes searching for the girl amongst the booths and crowds. Even with the distance separating them, something about the blonde man sent tingles through Zeno's blood. He was a holy man, with a thin communication to the Dragon Gods, and through their blood, the Dragon Warriors.

"I'm sorry Mr. Zeno, but I have to go." Yona chimed in. Hastily she turned and bow to the small group before racing off. She had rejoined the crowd, and the priest, before any of the dragons could stop her.

Zeno was briefly aware of the other hatchlings joining his side, no longer choosing to linger behind him. They watched the young girl disappear, and saw the longing in Ouryuu's eyes.

Zeno had so many questions, and no way to find the answers. Why was the young princess here? Rumors of her death were still fresh amongst the gossiping villagers, with so many believing her to be dead. How did she escape? How did she end up in the care of an unknown priest?

Why could he not feel her through their sacred bonds?

"Zeno," a small clawed hand tugged on his overcoat. Kija was gazing longingly into the village. Did he know who that was? Or did Hakuryuu's village still consider red hair sacred?

" _Who_ was that?" Jae-Ha voiced the question on all their minds.

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A quick thanks to all who reviewed, and encouraged me! It was great to see this idea embraced so widely. For those who are following, I hope to live up to your expectations. Don't be afraid to PM me, or review, and tell me otherwise. For those who have favorited me, thank you too! As always, I beg and ask for reviews, as it's the main thing I live off of (that and manga updates). If you're shy, you can always PM me too. I welcome those too if that's better for you.

Not much happening here, but I wanted to deepen Ik-Soo's and Yona's relationship, along with getting Kija into the mix. Raising a child is tough, and raising a spoiled child is even tougher. An adult can reason, and understand actions, but younger children don't understand certain things yet, like a country's betrayal, or the limitation and difference between citizens and nobility. So I hope I captured that well enough.

What would you like to see soon? Little Yoon? Hak and Soo-Won? More dragon interactions? Something else? I type as the ideas come to me so don't be afraid to drop me an idea. (Should I be typing their ages at the top of each chapter for easy information?)

 **In The Next Chapter :** "Naming A Dragon" Bad people are still after the exiled princess, and even a tiny village is not safe. Yona needs a ray of moonlight to lead her to safety in such a dark time.

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Editing as always is done by me. My muse doesn't play well with others so I have no beta. If you see a mistake, please point it out so I can fix it. If this sounds a little rough, it's because I was typing this during some heavy finals (it kept me sane), so forgive me if so.

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For those following me for Bloody Purity, the next chapter will be out within the next two weeks! So stay tune. Much thought and editing goes into B.P. so it requires more times to polish things up. Stay excited though, as it's coming! (Edit : I really should quit promising timeline releases. They never go as planned. Sorry everyone!)


	3. Naming a Dragon

"More gentle than the light of sun, but does not lose its warmth in the darkness . . ."

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To Name A Dragon

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Yona - 4

Jae-Ha - 13

Kija - 8

Shin-Ah - 6

Ik-Soo - 21

 _(Please keep in mind that these are estimations, as I don't have a lot of experience being around children and their development stages. But hey, this is FanFiction for a reason.)_

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Ik-Soo had always warned her about strangers. There were bad men in the world. She knew this. She remembered the bad men who hurt her mother. She remembered the men who started fires, and killed the palace servants. She remembered them vividly, because they still haunted her dreams.

Yona used to be afraid that anyone could be a bad man. Ik-Soo had saved her, she knew this, and for a long time she didn't want to leave the priest's home, for fear of being found. Gently though, and over a small period of time, the priest soothed her fears, and Yona become her bright self again.

Though spoiled, and slightly bratty, Yona won the hearts of the nearby villagers. The females thought it was sweet of Ik-Soo to take in the young orphan. The men's hearts grew soft when Yona looked at them with her angry, puffed out cheeks, or her dazzling smile. They never asked what her name was, and she never ask Ik-Soo about her family.

The village was small, and nestled into the mountains that bordered Saika. Most of the ground was dry, and cracking. Crops were struggling to survive, and the adults spent most of the days slaving in the sun to keep their crops growing. The only fertile grounds were found near the mountain's edge, surrounded by dense foliage that made farming difficult.

Many men were taken away to join the army. Ik-Soo, the quiet priest that he was, was often a source of comfort when the hearts of mother's and wive's grew heavy with loss. He would often spend his days in the village, helping where he could. Yona, would quickly grow bored of the priest's actions, and would find herself wandering.

Sometimes she played with the other children, but most of the children were older than her, and had little patience for her nativity. She liked the older girls, whom were on the cusps of becoming women. They reminded her of the kind ladies who dressed her mother and her, and the servants who would watch young Yona when her mother and father were busy.

However, they didn't like her. The village girls were vicious to her. They tugged on her hair, calling it an ugly shade of blood. They teased her for her soft, uncalloused hands, and her blemish free skin. When they did spend time with Yona, they were rough with her, pushing and shoving her, but claiming it was an accident.

Yona didn't understand why they were being mean to her, but after a few weeks, she found that she would rather be alone, than be with the tormenting children. So Yona often spent her days amongst the elders, listening to them tell their wild stories, or in the forest, curiously exploring the tracks made by wildlife that she never knew existed.

It was a handful of days after she met the odd family, that she noticed an increase of people in their tiny village. New children were coming to play, more adults were flooding the streets, and the village merchants were so busy with business matters, that they rarely paid attention to her.

Still, Yona was fascinated with the new items that they were displaying, and she wandered from booth to booth to explore. Pretty jewels, _-even prettier than the bracelet!_ \- were on display. Livestock, which had been carefully tended to over several years, were finally butchered, and their meat was being sold. The young girl had never seen so many people before, nor so many pretty sights amongst the tiny village.

"Mister, what is that?"

The robust man smiled down at the young girl, and gently rapped her knuckles with a wooden spoon, when her fingers tried to grab the hot pan. "These are deep-fried dumplings. Would the lil' miss like one?"

Yona tilted her head back and stared at the man. His face was unfamiliar, and there was a small cloth tent behind him. He must be a traveler, since the whole village knows that Yona and Ik-Soo didn't have money. It simply wasn't the priest's way, to ask for money.

"Mister, I don't have any money, but I have these." From a pouch on her waist, Yona pulled out a handful of random plants. She often saw Ik-Soo barter with villagers using his own herbs, and these were fresh! She had plucked them herself, just this morning.

The man grimaced at the crumpled, broken stems of random herbs. They had no monetary value, and wouldn't be worth anything. He had his own family to feed and he couldn't afford to lose money, just to spare the child's feelings.

"I need five ren, not a handful of leaves."

"Mister, I don't have money." Her voice was taking on its old, high-pitch screech, as she grew more distressed. The food smelt really good, and made her stomach clench in hunger, and voice its displeasure at being empty. Small hands moved to cup the front of her stomach.

"Do you want Mister to buy it for you?" Young Yona tilted her head back to see a strange man towering over her from behind. He was giving her a gentle smile, and reaching into his bag to pull out a few coins.

"Thank you!" Yona didn't have any reason to fear strange men within her village. It was always a safe place to her, unlike her palace. So she didn't think it was odd, when the man caressed her hair, or when he gently guided her away from the stall, and the watchful eye of the vendor.

By the time she grew scared, it was too late.

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Zeno never did answer the question, of who she was. He was not lying, or trying to be hurtful. He had intended to explain just who the little redhead reminded him of, once they got back to the cabin. However, during the short walk there, he had searched and thought, and agonized over the thought, unsure if he was right.

By the time they reached the cabin, he just wasn't sure.

He had felt the bond snap. The only time he had ever felt that, was when the Dragon Warriors died. Hiryuu, should be dead. The bond was gone. Even looking into those little amethyst orbs, had not rekindled the bond.

She could just be a normal child.

Zeno remembered that King Hiryuu had sired a son. A human son. The lad was thin, and wiry like his father, but he had gentle blue eyes, and pitch black hair, like the Queen. Hiryuu's son had not possessed Hiryuu's looks, but simply his blood. Still, it was possible that if this girl was a descendant of Hiryuu's son, then perhaps the red hair and purple eyes, were simply a trait that laid dormant in the blood. Being descended from Hiryuu, did not make her the red dragon.

So, Zeno told the truth, but the bare minimum. "Zeno doesn't know her. She just reminded Zeno of someone."

Thus, that was all the girl was, to the younger generation. Simple a girl, that brought back memories for Zeno.

They were still curious though. Zeno knew what his wards were doing, when Seiryuu and Hakuryuu would disappear into the village. They were exploring, hoping to catch a glimpse of the girl. Zeno knew that he had not fooled Ryokuryuu either, as Jae-Ha kept bringing up the subject. He would recite odd facts and rumors about the girl, which he had learned from the village ladies. For a boy who had only seen this thirteen winter, Jae-Ha was already a charmer.

So at first, Zeno didn't think it was odd that the blue hatchling had been distant that day. The boy was slowly learning his powers. With Zeno's coaxing, he was expanding his eyes, seeing beyond what a normal human could see and because of this, young Seiryuu had a hobby of watching the surrounding forest, fascinated with the wildlife around him.

On this day, Jae-Ha was gone again. He was somewhere in the sky, having trusted the younger hatchlings into Zeno's care. Zeno, and Kija, were busy tending to a small fire that they had set up in front of their house. Zeno was trying to teach Kija how to cook the freshly hunted rabbits, but every time the meat bled, the boy's nose would scrunch up in disgust.

"Taken."

One word, spoken like a whisper, and suddenly the blue hatchling was running inside the cabin. Zeno paused his work, curious of what the boy was up too. Just as quickly, the blue hatchling ran back out. He was now wrapped in Zeno's torn cloak, his face and body nearly engulfed in it. The bells, with rang with each step he took, revealed that the boy still had his mask on underneath the cloak. Despite the random act, it wasn't out of character for the child. Young Seiryuu had an independent streak, and he loved to explore, mainly on his own.

"Wait!" Kija jumped to his feet, and moved to chase after the boy, but Zeno placed a firm hand on his shoulder, halting Kija's pursuit. "We have to stop him," Kija insisted.

"Let Seiryuu do this. He would have asked for help, if he needed it."

"Will he be back before dark?"

"It's a full moon tonight. It won't get too dark."

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 _'I can see her.'_

Ao would have called it a crush. Ao would have also insisted that it was childish, and unneeded. Seiryuu didn't think it was a crush, and he didn't think it was childish. He just thought that Yona was very pretty, and very naive.

Seiryuu didn't watch all the time. He just liked to check on her, to make sure that she was okay. It was very easy to do. He just had to want to see her, and she would appear. It was almost like he was standing there with her, watching her explore the nearby forest, or listen to the elder's tales.

This time was different though. This time, he has seen her surrounded by people. They were all looking at her red hair, and whispering amongst themselves. The outsiders liked her. Too much. They thought she was pretty. That she looked exotic. That she looked _expensive_.

Yona didn't see like he could though.

So she didn't see the man approaching her. She didn't notice the nervous look the shopkeeper gave her when she trotted away. She didn't see the other men approaching her from behind, or the wet cloth that one of them had in his bag.

Compared to him, Yona was blind, and because she was blind, she was taken.

Seiryuu didn't think to ask for help. It would be useless. Kija and Zeno didn't know the woods like he did. They couldn't see the camp like he could. They didn't know how to fight, like he did.

At that thought, Seiryuu's small hand traveled to his hip, where Zeno's small dagger was tucked into his large obi. Ao had taught him a lot. His teachings were mainly centered around a sword, but Seiryuu didn't have a sword anymore.

The teachings had be similar though, as a knife was basically a small sword. Ao had taught him to kill quickly, while staying out of reach of the other person's blade. The small child knew how to bounce around to dodge a sword's edge. He was skilled at using his small size to his advantage, and everyone underestimated him because of the mask blocking his eyes.

Seiryuu wasn't trying to be sly. The bushes around him announced his presence, disturbing the drunk gathering of men. There were four men, all gathered around a dying fire, with empty jugs surrounding them. The smell of heavy liquor tainted the air, and Seiryuu could see the heavy liquid coursing through their bodies.

"Boys," the smallest of the group, was peering at Seiryuu, who was lingering back. "Boyss, we have a visitor."

"We can see," one of the other men hiccuped loudly before squinting his eyes, to see through the double-vision his alcohol has brought him. "Did one of them get free?"

The largest of the goon, and the one least drunk, shook his head. Seiryuu recognized him as the man who offered to buy Yona the fried dumpling. "We ain't got one with blue hair."

In their drunken state, they weren't startled by the sudden appearance of the child, and they didn't take him seriously. They were intrigued by his unique hair though. The smallest man got to his feet, swaying to a tune that only he could hear. "Come here, kid. Want some food?"

Seiryuu nodded his head, acting like a naive, trusting kid. "Hungry," he faked a whimper. "Lost."

That perked their interest. The largest man gave a friendly grin, displaying his dirty, chipped teeth. "You can stay with us, kid. We can find your parents in the morning."

This man was a liar. Seiryuu could see into the burlap sacks that rested in the cart, just a small distance from their fire. Seiryuu's eyes could see the stolen treasures inside, and how a small girl was tied up like a slaughter hog in one of them. Dried tears were stained onto her cheeks, and her beautiful red hair was roughly tied back and streaked with blood.

They had no intentions of helping him.

Worse, they had hurt her.

Seiryuu crept closer, the dagger bumping against his hip with each step he took.

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Yona remember crying for help. She remembered trying to bite her captor, only to get slapped in the mouth. The men then pressed a cloth to her face, which smelt pleasant and overpowering. Immediately after the scent registered in her mind, she fell into a darkness that she couldn't fight.

The next thing she knew, there was someone touching her. Yona whimpered, and curled into a tighter ball. The large bag was scratchy on her skin, and she couldn't see who was touching her. She was scared that the bad men had come back for her.

As her whimpering grew louder, a new sound reached her ears. It was a gentle shushing sound, and the hand touching her from outside the bag, was gentle. She could feel the bag opening, and fresh air greeted her parched lungs. Yona wasted no time, and drove her hands towards the small opening, freeing herself.

Fresh tears were streaming from her eyes, but this time, they were tears of joy. The fresh air was the greatest thing she ever tasted. The touch of the gentle wind was a cherished embrace, and her eyes hungrily drank in the sight of the star filled sky, and the full moon.

"Yona," her name was whispered like a precious prayer.

Little Yona turned to her savior. She didn't care that it was a child, around the same size of her. She didn't find it odd that his face was covered by a mask, and she didn't question how a kid had managed to beat up the four grown man. She was thankful, and that's all she knew.

"Thank you!" Yona leaned forward to pull the boy into a hug. "Thank you!" Her weight tipped her over the edge of the cart, and she fell on top of the boy, sending both of them to the grassy floor. "Thank you!" Her joyful tears were soaking into his worn cloak, as his hand worked to free her bound hair.

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The boy lead her blindly away from the campsite. He kept one hand over both of her eyes, and lead her away by pulling her left hand, with his right hand. They only traveled for a few minutes, but even blind, Yona could feel the grass growing softer beneath her bare feet, and she could hear the tinkling sound of a river.

"Is it safe?" Despite not hearing anybody for a long time, Yona found herself whispering.

"Yes. Almost there." The same low voice, sweet and almost feminine, answered her back.

They came to a stop. The sound of the river was closer now, and she could feel longer strands of grass, brushing against her legs. Slowly, the hands covering her eyes, fell away.

Yona gasped in amazement, at the sight that greeted her.

They were standing before a flowing river. Long grass danced in the wind, and firebugs darted in and out of the strands. The glowing bugs, which never failed to fascinate the young girl, swarmed her savior. Their green light reflected off the water, and the boy's equally blue hair. There was a small gap in the trees in front of her, which revealed the full moon and let its gentle light wash over the pair of children.

"Do you like?" The boy's hands were fumbling with his too large cloak, revealing how shy and nervous he was.

"It's so pretty," Yona breathed out.

It was a beautiful sight, and a stark contrast to the scary situation she was just in. Here, with the river, and the unnamed boy who saved her, Yona could see the beauty in the world again. The very air around her was peaceful, and tranquil, and helped to ease her racing heart.

The boy crept forward, his masked face moving up and down, as if his blocked eyes were scanning her. Yona was too preoccupied with the firebug that had landed on the back of her hand, to notice.

"Hurt?"

His words were a gentle reminder that brought all her aches and pains back. The back of her skull was throbbing from when the men had pulled on her hair. Her stomach was empty, and her tongue felt dry. Several bruises tinged with her movements, especially near her ribs, shoulders, and wrist.

As she thought about her injuries though, Yona remember the fire that changed her life. She recalled shrill screams, and the iron smell of blood. She remembered running away, and trying to hide. She remembered the bodies, and the fighting soldiers. Compared to then, her injuries were small and insignificant.

"I'm okay." For some reason, she couldn't look at the boy in his eyes, or where the painted eyes of the cat mask, were. Big tears began to well up, and trailed down, as her little finger clutched themselves into fists. "I just want to go home."

She wanted the palace. She wanted to watch Hak and Soo-Won train in the gardens. She wanted to embrace of her mother, and hear the gentle words of her father. She wanted her soft bed, and dozens of protectors. She wanted the life where her biggest worry, was which dress she should wear, and how she should braid her hair.

She started to cry beneath the stars. The young boy was startled at first, unsure how to react. The sight of Yona crying though, with her mussed hair, and dirty dress, tugged on the boy's heartstrings. Seiryuu quickly moved forward and enveloped the forsake princess in a hug. The two stood together, before the bubbling river, and beneath the Heaven's gaze.

Yona felt safe, and warm, within the boy's arms. She noticed that his touch wasn't overly warm, like blazing patch of sunlight, and while it was tight, it wasn't restricting. His rouch was softer, and more comforting. It was enough to let Yona know she wasn't alone, without being overbearing.

The girl clutched onto the boy's tattered cloak, and wailed her grief. She had thought she was going to die. She thought she would never escaped that encompassing darkness, but this boy had lead her to safety. He lead the way out of her darkness, like a light ray of light.

Seiryuu calmly ran his head from the top of his head, to the end of her gnarled hair, as a quiet hum escaped his throat. His touch eased her frightened mind, and soothed her fears. She wasn't alone now. He had protected her, and wouldn't let her be hurt. He didn't know why, and he didn't question it. Seiryuu's mind was not meant to overthink things. He simply accepted them as they were.

It was the first official meeting between Hiryuu and Abi's reincarnations, and they didn't even know it.

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Ik-Soo's hug was not gentle. It was tight, restricting, and filled with tears and choked questions. Yona returned the young priest's embrace, her own eyes watering, despite the fact that she had spent most of the night crying.

"Yo-ou sca-cared me!" The priest was sobbing so hard, that he could barely talk.

"I'm sorry," Yona cried out. Her hands moved to hug the priest closer to her. "I'm so sorry."

A whole day. A whole, heart stopping day, Yona had been gone. Ik-Soo had taken his eyes off of her for a few minutes, and somehow in that time, Yona had disappeared. At first, he wasn't worried, as Yona had disappeared quite often, but when she didn't show up within the next hour, Ik-Soo had began to get nervous. By sundown, he was panicking. Still, she did not show up. Ik-Soo had even tried to search for her himself, but he couldn't find a trace of her.

Even with the help of a concerned village, nobody could find the tiny princess.

It wasn't until sunrise, when she magically showed up on his doorstep, accompanied by a masked boy. She was dirty, her hair was matted with blood and mud, and she was trembling in fear, but she was safe, and alive. Ik-Soo had never thanked the Heavens so much before.

His watery purple eyes looked up, and stared at the cat mask. He couldn't see the boy's face. All he could see was the intricate cat mask, with a tuft of blue hair peeking out from the top. His brown robes were filthy, and covered by a too large cloak. The priest's sharps eyes caught sight of the few specks of red that stained the bottom of the cloak.

 _'The boy protected Yona.'_

"Thank you," Ik-Soo gathered the crying girl in his arms, and effortlessly picked her up. "Thank you so much." It was awkward bowing while carrying a small child, but Ik-Soo managed it. "I owe you a great debt. What's your name?"

The boy shook his head, the bells around the mask's ear, echoing the movements. He had yet to speak a word. His face fell downwards, giving the cat mask an ashamed air about it.

"Do you not have a name?"

The boy shook his head again.

"His name is Shin-Ah." The tiniest voice, muffled by Ik-Soo's robes and her sobs, spoke up. Both priest and boy froze, and looked towards the little girl. "He took me by the hand, and lead me through the darkness. You're light." Shy, purple eyes peeked over her shoulder. "My moonlight, Shin-Ah. Can I call you that?"

The boy's lips stretched into the widest smile. Startling white teeth, and a pair of tiny canines were displayed. The blue haired child was nodding vigorously, the bells echoing loudly. The simple name, seemed to fill him with joy.

"Shin-Ah," impossibly, the child's smile grew even larger when Ik-Soo addressed him. "Thank you for saving Yona. Can I do anything for you?"

His head tilted to the side, and up towards the sky. Behind the small boy, the sun peeked over the trees. bathing his profile in a gentle light. "Can I visit Yona?"

"Of course, child. You can visit her whenever you want."

Suddenly, Shin-Ah's back went straight, and he turned to look into the words, as if someone was calling him. "Home," was all he said, before quickly running into the surrounding trees. Ik-Soo didn't even get a chance to wave good-bye, or offer to escort him home.

"He'll be back," Yona reached a small hand up to pat Ik-Soo's cheek. She spoke with confidence, and Ik-Soo found himself believing her.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

Zeno watched as the Seiryuu hatchling trotted back, and immediately, the golden dragon noticed the addition of fresh blood on his old cloak. The hatchling was grinning, and nearly skipping to Zeno's side, despite the signs that the kid was involved in a bloody struggle.

"Lad? Are you okay?" Zeno's concerned question caught Kija's attention from where he was dozing in the open doorway, and the young white dragon quickly joined Zeno's side. Kija had a rough night, finding it difficult to fall asleep when he was worried about the other boy, and he was glad to see that Seiryuu was okay. "Is Lad hurt?

The blue hatchling was now standing in front of a concerned Zeno, and a tired Kija. His lips were pulled back in a full-grin, a sight that the other Dragon Warriors had never seen.

The blue hatchling raised his right fist, and thumped it firmly on his chest. "Shin-Ah."

' _Moonlight_.' It was an odd name. It was also an elegant name, one that those of the royal family used. It was not a common name that he would have overheard from the nearby village. "Is that your name?" Zeno couldn't help but think that the name suited the boy.

The boy, named named Shin-Ah, nodded his head. "She gave me a name."

"Who?" It was Kija who voiced this question.

"Yona." Shin-Ah gestured vaguely to the trees behind him. "The pretty girl with the red hair."

* * *

Well this monster got out of control, pretty quickly. Sorry about that! But, at least, Shin-Ah now has a name. Originally, this was suppose to be light-hearted, but I added the kidnapping scene and it got out of hand. _(I swear I can write light and funny!)_ Really got nothing witty to say here. I'm not dead, still working on some fics in my free time. Got two requests that I'm workin on now, along with Bloody Purity, and the next lighthearted chapter for this story.

 _ **Fun Fact! :**_ When I began the drafts for this story, I wrongly assumed Ik-Soo was in his teens, and I originally created an OC that was the his mentor, and the priest before him. When proof-reading however, I checked my ages and came to the conclusion that Ik-Soo would be on his own. So Hyeon-Gun was scrapped.

* * *

 _Up Next_ :  Devoted Follower, Confused Princess

"Why are you bowing?"

"You have red hair."

"Well you have a lizard's hand . . . Should I be bowing too?"


	4. Follower, Princess, Friends

". . . I am your dragon. The blood within me, is telling me so."

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

Follower, Princess, Friends

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

* * *

It was very important for children to interact with each other, at a young age. It taught them how to behave, how to communicate, and it was good for their mental development. At least, that was what the mothers told Ik-Soo, when he went to them for advice.

However, Ik-Soo wonder if a normal childhood would ever suit his precious princess.

As he sat in the doorway of their small hut, he watched as Yona dived and scrambled, trying to tag Shin-Ah, the strange boy who had protected her. Even blinded by the mask, Shin-Ah held some hidden advantage, as he continued to duck and weave out of range of her scrambling hands. Their laughter filled the area, inflicting happiness into the air itself.

Almost every day, since Shin-Ah brought Yona home, the young boy would trot his way over to their cottage. Without fail, Yona would race across the hut, as if sensing his presence approaching, and greet him with a dazzling smile that radiated brighter than the sun.

Some days they would sit side by side, and Yona would chat about everything, and anything. Her excited chatter would fill the air, and she wasn't bothered when Shin-Ah didn't jump in with his own stories. Some days, Yona would force the boy to work with her in the garden, reciting Ik-Soo's teachings.

Some nights, he would stay and eat with them. Other nights, he would disappear before sunset, yanked away like he knew his family was looking for him. Yet, despite how many days the boy spent around them, Ik-Soo had never seen him without the cat mask, and the bells on its ear. To the priest, it was simply his face, as unmovable as his own nose and ears.

He knew it was normal for children to play with each other. It was healthy for their development, and taught them essential life skills. However, Yona had developed a sudden, deep bond with this strange child, over a deeply traumatic event, and it was concerning, because he knew it wasn't normal.

As the sun set, and night bathed the skies once more, Ik-Soo watched as the masked child turned his face to the south. Ik-Soo knew his family laid in that direction, as he would gaze into the same area every time, before going home.

"Shin-Ah," the priest's soft words pulled the child's attention back to him. "I would like to meet your family."

That was a normal request, the village mothers had assured him. Mothers often got together, so they could trust each other and watch their children. They gave him words of wisdom : 'It takes a village, to raise a child.'

Still, Shin-Ah reacted as if he had been struck. He flinched away, and his tiny hands curled into a tight fist. His masked face bowed, and Ik-Soo was sure, if he could see the child's eyes, he'd be tearing up.

Was the child ashamed of his family? Or was there a darker story to the masked child? Yona glared at the priest with all her tiny fury. She was mad that Ik-Soo had made her friend upset. Shin-Ah was good, and nothing should hurt him, not even words.

"Apologize!" The little princess immediately demanded.

Ik-Soo now reacted as if he was the one struck. Yona had never spoken with such hostility and conviction before! He wanted to scold the girl, but looking at the distressed boy, made regret twisted in his heart. Perhaps, it was a careless demand. Did the boy even have a family? The village did not mention having an orphanage, but perhaps it was a make-shift orphanage, made up of the broken families of the village.

The young priest has seen similar situations before.

"Apologize!" Yona stamped her little foot.

"I will not," Ik-Soo calmly replied. Yona's cheeks puffed up in agitations and the priest could see the approaching tantrum. He calmly braced himself for it, having grown use to the temper of the young princess. "I would think that young Shin-Ah's parents are wondering where he disappears to, too."

Someone had to be caring for the boy. He was not starving, though he did not refuse the food given to him. His clothes were old, but carefully mended to reduce damage. Occasionally he would bring some trinkets and toys to play with. Even if the parents were neglectful, and chose to ignore their child to a point of namelessness, Ik-Soo could meet them, and perhaps interfere if needed.

It was fate though brought Yona and Shin-Ah together, and fate that brought them under his eyes. Surely there was a reason for it.

Before Yona's tantrum could crest, Shin-Ah whisper of a voice interrupted. "Tomorrow," the bells jingled as he nodded his head. "Tomorrow, come to my home."

Yona's temper instantly froze, and a dazzling smile broke across her lips. The childish squeal that escaped her would be heard for miles. "I get to meet them!" Her feet stamped the ground as she did a small dance that only she knew the steps too.

Ik-Soo frowned that Yona's random excitement. "Have you met them before?"

The princess' only response was to giggle, and engaged in her game of chase with Shin-Ah.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

Zeno knew that Seiryuu was hiding something. The youngest child was sitting stiffly, his masked face bowed, and Zeno didn't think he was listening to Hakuryuu or Ryokuryuu speak. Which was odd, since Seiryuu normally latched onto anything Ryokuryuu said, still believing him to his savior and closest friend.

Worse, Seiryuu hadn't taken a single bite of the smoked fish that was given to him.

His brothers had taken noticed too. Kija paused, mid-chew, and tilted his head to the side. "Shin-Ah, are you okay?" Kija reached out his human hand, as if to lay his hand on Shin-Ah's forehead and check his temperature, but paused mid-reach when he remembered the wooden mask."Are you sick?"

Shin-Ah shook his head, the bells chiming softly with each movement. Shin-Ah's hands were fiddling with his dirty short sleeves, and his very aura seemed upset. Zeno knew something had happened to his hatchling.

"Seiryuu, were you hurt?" Zeno reached over to lay a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

Shin-Ah looked up, the wooden eyes staring at Zeno. It was hard to tell if he was crying or not. Perhaps, he was just nervous?

"Not hurt," Shin-Ah murmured. "My friend is coming over."

Zeno frowned lightly at the news. He knew about Shin-Ah's playdates, and though he had never met the child before, he had a sneaking suspicion of who it was too. Ever since he had returned with his new name, the child had been running off often. _Yona_. The girl from the village. The girl with unique red hair and memorizing purple eyes.

The one who attracted the dragons to her.

Seeing Zeno's frown, Shin-Ah hunched in on himself. His knees were drawn to his small chest, and he wrapped his arms around his legs. Though the atmosphere wasn't tense, it was suddenly quiet.

"When is she coming over?" Ryokuryuu was the one who broke the silence.

"Sundown."

Three heads turned to look at the sun, which was already past its highest point and dipping towards the mountains. In a handful of hours, the girl that intrigued them all, would be at their house. Their eyes then moved around their dwellings.

Clothes, clean and dirty, were strewn around. Bones from previous kills were stacked in one corner. Their sink was full of dishes, some broken beyond use. The light layer of dust on the flooring clearly showed the imprint of Jae-Ha's bare dragon foot. Outside, Zeno knew that several freshly skinned rabbit were hanging up, waiting to be cooked.

Though not dirty, their home was well-lived in, and under the control of a traveler, and three boys.

"We better get cleaning," Ryokuryuu chirped up.

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

"It's too tight," Hakuryuu whimpered as Zeno pulled the bandage even tighter around the child's right arm.

The snow white bandages were tugging and rubbing against his sensitive scales. The thought of covering up his dragon blood was unheard of. His village would swarm him for a glimpse of the heavenly claws. In their tiny hut, the dragons didn't hide from each other. Zeno even took the time to train them, and had showed Kija how to enlarge his hand in desperate times.

Zeno was stern though, and had insisted that everyone cover up their dragon limbs. For Jae-Ha, this wasn't a problem. Despite Zeno's words, and the encouragement of his dragon brothers, he still considered his dragon leg a hideous sight, and wore boots which hide his whole leg. Shin-Ah still hid his eyes from everyone, choosing to have his mask as his own identity. To the younger dragons, this was a thing of tragedy and mystery. They still had yet to see the dazzling sight of Seiryuu's eyes.

Kija admitted defeat and let Zeno wrap his arm, but since he was a boy who was worship, he was having difficulties accepting the fact that he had to hide an essential part of his identity.

"Repeat the rules lad," said Zeno.

Kija sighed, his eyes mournfully watching as the last of his scales disappeared behind the bandage. "Do not enlarge my hand. Do not take off the bandage. Lift everything with my left hand."

"And?"

"Do not pick at the bandage, no matter how much it itches."

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

"Repeat the rules," Ik-Soo murmured around the piece of cloth in his mouth.

His hands were busy trying to wrangle Yona's messy curls into one palm. The young girl was jittering in place though, bouncing her body up and down. Strands of curling red hair kept escaping, as if they had a desire of their own to be seen.

"I can not run off. Don't take off my hood. Don't talk about my mom and papa. Don't show my hair. Be respectful and nice."

"And?"

"Don't complain about the food, no matter how bad it taste."

"Good girl." Finally, Ik-Soo managed to tie her rioting red curls into a simple ponytail. With an elegant twist, he forced the ponytail into a messy bun. His hands now free, Ik-Soo reached up to remove the strip of pink clothe from his mouth, and proceeded to wrap over the top of her head. The strip of clothe would hide her rioting curls up front, while her hood would hide the rest of her hair. "Now let's go meet your friend."

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

There was something _different_ about this family. Ik-Soo could feel it, as he and Yona stood a few feet from them. Shin-Ah had always felt different to the priest, but he had assumed it was because of his odd behavior. It wasn't a malicious aura, but something that was _not ordinary._

It was a trait shared with his family apparently.

Ik-Soo stepped forward, and bowed before the head of household. Yona copied him, bowing at her waist, and nearly losing her balance. Ik-Soo was pleased to see her hood stay in place.

"My name is Ik-Soo, and this is my ward -"

"Yona!" The young girl chirped up before he could finished. "I'm happy to see Zeno again."

The young man had been staring at Ik-Soo with curiosity and a touch of hostility. At Yona's voice though, his face softened to a wistful smile, and a haunting smile crossed his lips. "Zeno is happy to see the Little Miss too."

Ik-Soo was now the one frowning. Even since her kidnapping, the priest has been very protective of the young princess. There were too many strangers who would still hurt her. If the kingdom found out who she really was, there was no doubt the young girl would be thrown into a civil war, with half the kingdom wanting her blood spilt, and the other half wanting her to wear a crown.

Ik-Soo reached out and wrapped a protective arm around Yona, tugging her closer to him. "How do you know her?"

"Little miss found us, in the village."

"And how do you know her name?"

"You shouted it out, when you were looking for her," the boy with white hair spoke up. Bravely, he walked forward, until he could extended his left hand, which was not bandage, to Ik-Soo. "My name is Kija, I am Shin-Ah's older brother, and the younger brother of Jae-Ha, and Zeno."

Ik-Soo reached out and shook the small boy's hand. The priest shivered, as something else traveled from the boy's palm, to his own. An aura, which was too large for the child, made itself known. Ik-Soo couldn't help himself when he ripped his hand back, holding it protectively to his chest.

Yona reached up, and poked his ribs. "You're being rude," she loudly proclaimed.

There was a moment of silence, as Yona glared up at her guardian, and Ik-Soo couldn't help but eye the new family. Suddenly, he wasn't sure how to feel about the odd family, and he wasn't sure if he wanted the princess around them.

"Shall we go inside?" Jae-Ha was the one to finally break the silence. "We made some rabbit stew."

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

"So, why are you here?"

The meal had gone over well enough. Yona has only grimaced once, but she managed to finish the bowl without complaint. Afterwards, Shin-Ah and requested that Yona play with him outside. Yona invited Kija, and Kija had insisted on someone responsible watching them. So Jae-Ha was forced to go with.

That left Ik-Soo, and Zeno, alone in the doorway of the humble cottage. Seeing that the two guardians were now alone, Ik-Soo thought it was safe to ask a few questions.

Zeno reached up, his fingers twirling a strand of hair around his finger. He was carefully watching the four children play, and carefully thinking his answer over. "Zeno use to own this cottage, a very long time ago. When Zeno found himself caring for the ha-, children, Zeno knew the country would be the best place for them."

"Oh?" Ik-Soo was now watching the boy himself. Despite the odd aura they had, there was something else bugging him. Shin-Ah hide his face behind a wooden mask, and rarely spoke. Kija, though quiet, had his right arm and hand heavily bandage. Jae-Ha, seemed hostile to the priest, defensive around the younger boys, and walked with a distinct limp, as if one foot was heavily than the other. "Kija said you were all brothers."

"We are all related by blood," said Zeno.

Ik-Soo gripped a handful of his worn pants. The signs were all there. It would explain why Shin-Ah didn't want them to meet. Why the boy was so quiet, and the hostile aura the family gave off. He didn't want to believe it but he has seen many cases of abuse before.

Quiet laughter escaped Zeno, and he leaned back on his palms, still watching the children play. "It's not what you think. Zeno would never harm his brothers. Shin-Ah would see Zeno coming, and Jae-Ha and Kija are much stronger than Zeno."

Ik-Soo didn't sense a lie, like he normally would, and there something about Zeno's voice that was so sincere. It was as if the gods themselves had leaned down and blew away Ik-Soo's worries and doubts.

"We're brothers, but we were separated a long, long time ago," Zeno continued. "I found Jae-Ha, and rescued him from an abusive village. The rest is destiny."

In the distance, was a yelp and a shout of, "You can't do that!" A quick glance over, showed that Yona was on the ground, pinned beneath Jae-Ha's right foot. The young teenager wasn't applying pressure or harming the young girl, but she seemed unable to move him. She was squirming beneath his foot, trying to escape Shin-Ah and Kija's tickling fingers.

Both guardians smiled, seeing the carefree smiles on the children's faces. They were playing, and acting as children should. To Zeno, this was a delight that the hatchling were never granted. To Ik-Soo, it showed him that the past events wouldn't define the young girl he had grown to love.

"Destiny," Ik-Soo murmured to himself. Perhaps this was destiny. Destiny that brought the brothers together again, and destiny that brought him to Yona, that fateful night. It was certainly destiny now, that brought all six of them together. "It certainly has a weird way of working," the priest mused.

"We are mere mortals. Who are we, to question the course of destiny?"

`•.¸¸.•´´¯`•• .¸¸.•´¯`

"You're gonna get her in trouble," Kija was nervously trailing after his younger brother.

Shin-Ah paused, as if debating his words, before continuing into the dark woods. Around them, the wildlife fell quiet as the hatchlings traveled through. Though dark, dawn was not far off, but it was still too early for even the songful birds to be awake.

Kija shuffled after his younger brother, silently telling himself that all would be well. Shin-Ah has been sneaking off since the dinner, several nights ago, and though Zeno knew about it, their guardian did not put a stop to it. In fact, Zeno made sure that his baggy cloak was near the door, and extra food was set aside for Shin-Ah to take with him.

Kija knew who he was meeting. Shin-Ah was quiet, but he was not secretive. It had taken Kija days to work up the courage to ask his brother to take him with. Finally though, he was going to meet Yona again.

Shin-Ah drew to a quick stop, which Kija didn't noticed until the older boy nearly slammed into Shin-Ah. "What are we-" Kija's loud voice was cut off, as Shin-Ah turned around and quickly covered Kija's mouth.

Understanding the message, Kija nodded once, his face scrunched up in a look of concentration. Whatever was beyond the trees in front of him, Kija had to be silent. When Shin-Ah fell into a crouch, Kija copied him and both boys crept forward, silently moving the foliage out of their way.

She was there, crouched in the center of a clearing. Her own coat was a soft plum color, pooling around her tiny body, with the hood successfully covering her face. Behind her, the river gurgled and bubbled in a silent song. She held long, droopy stalks of vegetation, and her lips were moving in a soft coax, that Kija couldn't hear.

Crouched in front of her was a startled, young hare. It's long ears were back, and its body was wound in a tight huddle. One of its legs were mangled, and blood clotted its light brown fur. The whole body of the tiny creature was trembling, and its eyes were so wide, Kija was surprised that they didn't pop out.

Yona crept forward a step, her browning stalks now brushing the hare's nose. The injured creature hesitated, before slowly stretching its neck forward and taking a nibble. A smile split cross her face, and Yona's free hand reached forward, her fingers stretched towards the hare's twitching ears.

A startled cry filled the air, and Yona fell back, clutching a bleeding palm to her chest. Tears swelled in her eyes, and a startled sob escaped her. In front of her, the hare was gone, leaving a bloody trail in its escape.

Shin-Ah was just as quick, making it to Yona's side, and clutching her bleeding palm on his own. Kija watched as the quiet boy worked on comforting the young girl, slowing down her tears with his words.

Shin-Ah glanced up, his cat-like mask staring uncomfortably at where Kija was still hidden. It was a beckoning, which Kija found himself answering.

At his approach, Yona glanced up, and gave a watery smile. "Kija," she greeted.

Before Kija could greet her back, Shin-Ah extended his free hand, and demanded, "bandage".

Bandage? Kija didn't have any supplies on him. He was rarely injured himself, and therefore didn't carry medical supplies with him. It was Jae-Ha and Zeno was acted as healers, as worked to heal any injuries that happened.

Still, Shin-Ah kept his palm extended out, his mask staring at him in a silent demand. Kija glanced down at himself, and saw his right arm. It was wrapped tightly, from mid-bicep down to the tip of every one of his fingers. The bandages were quickly becoming part of his identity, the white strips acting as a poor replacement for his white scales. Still, Zeno was stern about the fact that Kija had to keep his arm hidden from everybody who wasn't his dragon brother.

Except, Yona had fire red hair like the original red dragon, though it was hidden right now. The color which was sacred, and unheard of, anywhere else. No human, since the passing of Hiryuu himself, had such color. The color of passion, of fire, and blood.

The same color, which was now pooling in Yona's cupped palm, as her torn bite mark continued to bleed, risking infection.

Kija extended his banged arm forward, and held his breath as Shin-Ah started the process of unwrapping him. Strips slowly loosened and fell away, uncovering sparkling scales with each inch revealed. Yona's eyes grew wider, as more scales made themselves known. Since the bandage was one continuous strip, as Shin-Ah unwrapped Kija's arm, he started to wrap Yona's palm, applying pressure to try and get her wound to stop bleeding. The once white bandage quickly seeped into a garnet color, opening like a rose at her palm, and spreading quickly towards the rest of the bandage.

"Okay?" Shin-Ah murmured.

"It doesn't hurt much anymore," she turned her eyes away from her bleeding palm, instead glancing at the white scales of Kija's arms.

Her unhurt hand reached out, and gently brushed against the scales. The warmth of her fingertips were pleasant against his cooler arm, and he let her brush, stroke and explore the unique scales. With each touch, her smile grew wider, and Kija found himself smiling back.

"They're so pretty," the young girl breathed out. "Thank you," Kija felt his cheeks warm up, and his heart skip a beat.

"Done."

Simultaneously, they all looked at her palm. The blood had stopped spreading, and her hand was dwarfed under the full length of the bandage. Shin-Ah puffed out his small chest, proud of his sloppy medical skills. Yona giggled, as she flexed her fingers, the movement barely seen under the bandages.

"Thank you, Shin-Ah." At the small tilt of his mask, Yona shook her head. "It doesn't hurt anymore."

Suddenly the young girl's eyes narrowed, and she took a step closer to Shin-Ah. The two children were nearly nose-to-mask now, with Yona peering unblinkingly into the paint cat eyes. A secret grin appeared on her lips, and she reached forward and poked the cheek of the mask.

"Are you special too?"

Kija watched as Shin-Ah hesitated, and then gave a single nod. An excited squeal broke from her lips. She leaped back, and boldly wrapped her arms around Kija's dragon arm. At her innocent but excited touch, Kija felt his cheeks growing even darker. The other children from the village never play with him, and though he loved his dragon brothers, they weren't as affectionate as Yona was being.

"You remind me of the dragons in the palace!" She was off on an excited ramble now. Speaking of a Hak, a cousin, a mother, and a painting, and lots about her dreams. Dreams which consisted of dragons, scales, and strange warriors.

There was something innocent about her speeches. It wasn't the reverence that his village raised him in. It wasn't the hesitation of Shin-Ah, the hatred of Jae-Ha or even the quiet wisdom of Zeno. She just stood there, with her bleeding palm wrapped in his bandage, clinging to his dragon arm, while locking eyes with the cat mask of his brother, chatting about her imaginary dragons. The river gurgles behind her, as the breeze played with the few wisps of red hair that had escaped the hood of her cloak.

Kija wasn't sure when he pulled away, or when he fell to his knees, performing a bow at the feet of the young girl. He knew when it fell silent though, as Yona and Shin-Ah stared at him with curiosity.

"Kija, why are you bowing?" With a curious tilt of her head, the hood of the cloak finally fell back, exposing her fire red curls.

So enchanted was Kija by the sight, that he stuttered and said the first thing he could think of. "You have red hair."

"Well you have a lizard's hand." She clamped both of her hands over her mouth, in an attempt to stifle her gasp. "Should I be bowing too?"

"No!" Kija's forehead hit the ground, and he attempted to hide his red cheeks. He was embarrassed. Embarrassed to be bowing without knowing why, and embarrassed that Yona, despite her appearance, did not seem to be the legendary king that he thought her to be. She was a girl, a girl who had found herself in the same village as them. Nothing more than that.

There was tugging on his heavenly arm, and Kija peered up to see Yona crouching by him, attempting to pull him up with her little strength. Kija let himself be lead up, once more standing before the pair.

"You don't have to bow, we're not at the palace." Yona took one more glance at the dragon arm, before letting it fall from her grasp. "I'm just Yona, and you can just be Kija. We can be friends."

 _Friends_. The simple concept filled Kija with joy, and he found himself returning her smile.

"And don't worry about your secret, I won't tell anyone. Not even Ik-Soo."

* * *

This damn thing is developing plot, and its a pain in my rear. I want childish stories here!

What would you guys rather see next chapter? Our dragons finding some cute animals, and perhaps learning a few fears? Or a bonding moment with Jae-Ha and Yona? Bonding with Zeno and Yona? Something else?

In regards to the bonds, I've gotten a lot of questions about it. The fact is, I don't want to come out and say it. Zeno gave a hint in the first chapter. I love the bonds, but I wanted the children to grow up without the whole "dragon and king" aspect, controlling their lives and views. Perhaps when I get bored of this story and prepare to complete it, I will bring the bonds back.

 _Editing as always_ , is done by yours truly. I get bored pretty quickly, and I gloss over my own writing. Some mistakes probably slipped by. Feel free to point them out, so I can fix them and pretend they never happened.


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